THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
ORGANIZED  FOR   SERVICE 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

ORGANIZED  FOR 

SERVICE 


BY 


MARION  LAWRANCE 


Superintendent  for  thirty-one  years  of  the  Washington  Street  Congregational 

Sunday  School,  Toledo,  Ohio;   at  present  Superintendent  of  the  South 

Congregational  Sunday  School,  Chicago;  General  Secretary  since 

1899  of  the  International  Sunday  School  Associaiion 


THE    PILGRIM    PRESS 

BOSTON    NEW  YORK    CHICAGO 


COPYRIGHT,  I914 
BY  LUTHER  H.  GARY 


THH-PilMPTON-PRBSS 
NORWOOD.  MASS-  U-S'A 


TO    MY    LOIS 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ORGANIZED  FOR 
SERVICE 

FOREWORD 

1  HIS  little  book  and  the  charts  it  contains  are  the 
outgrowth  of  a  series  of  lectures  on  Sunday  School 
Management,  delivered  before  the  Superintendents' 
Section  of  a  Sunday  school  institute  held  in  Chicago 
in  October,  1913.  Nothing  was  presented  to  the 
superintendents  at  that  time  except  one  chart  and 
the  syllabi  of  the  lectures.  The  chief  interest  centered 
about  the  chart,  because  it  placed  conveniently  before 
the  eye  a  concrete  outline  of  a  Sunday  school  organ- 
ized for  service.  It  also  presented  at  once  a  goal  to 
be  reached  by  schools  that  had  not  measured  up  to 
all  that  it  required.  With  a  knowledge  of  what  was 
yet  to  be  attained  there  came,  in  many  cases,  the 
desire  for  better  things,  and  the  chart  was  eagerly 
sought  for.  The  belief  was  expressed,  that,  framed 
and  hung  upon  the  wall  of-  the  Sunday  school  room, 
it  would  be  an  incentive  to  increased  activity  and 
greater  efficiency. 

Realizing,  however,  that  the  chart  was  not  as 
complete  as  it  should  be,  the  author  sent  it  to  about 
one  hundred  of  the  most  aggressive  and  successful 
superintendents  and  Sunday  school  specialists  through- 
out the  country,  with  a  request  for  suggestions  look- 
ing toward  its  improvement.     While  very  many  good 


Vlll  FOREWORD 

suggestions  were  received  —  which  have  been,  for 
the  most  part,  embodied  in  the  chart  as  it  now  ap- 
pears —  the  thing  that  mainly  attracted  our  attention 
was  the  almost  universal  expression  of  the  belief  that 
such  a  chart  would  be  of  benefit  to  Sunday  school 
workers  generally. 

Not  a  few  of  the  replies  brought  back  orders  for 
the  chart,  frequently  in  quantities,  for  distribution 
or  sale  to  Sunday  school  superintendents.  These 
requests  for  additional  copies  were  not  granted,  for 
the  reason  that  the  chart  was  not  then  ready  to  be 
given  to  the  Sunday  school  public. 

At  the  time  the  lectures  referred  to  were  delivered 
we  had  no  thought  of  preparing  more  than  one  chart. 
The  many  valuable  suggestions  that  were  received, 
however,  required  so  elaborate  a  chart  that  only  the 
Sunday  schools  that  were  larger  and  more  favored  as 
to  equipment  and  organization  than  the  average, 
could  carry  out  the  ideas  suggested.  Two  charts, 
therefore,  were  decided  upon  and  are  herewith  pre- 
sented. Chart  Number  1  is  for  schools  of  two  hundred 
members,  or  less,  and  may  be  adapted  to  schools  of 
one  hundred  members  or  even  less,  although  in  very 
small  schools  some  features  may  have  to  be  elimi- 
nated. Chart  Number  2  will  be  found  helpful,  we 
trust,  to  all  Sunday  schools  of  more  than  two  hundred 
members  and  may  be  adapted  to  the  very  largest 
schools. 

It  is  not  claimed  that  these  charts  represent  the 
last  word  in  Sunday  school  organization.  They  are 
suggestive  only.  Nor  does  it  follow  that  a  school 
is  not  well  organized  that  does  not  adopt  the  sug- 


FOREWORD  IX 

gestions  made  here.  Conditions  vary  in  different 
localities.  The  personality  of  the  pastor  and  the 
superintendent  and  their  associates  and  the  require- 
ments of  the  local  field  will  find  expression  in  the 
organization  of  the  school,  and  properly  so.  The 
reading  matter  in  this  book  is  simply  a  detailed 
explanation  of  the  charts,  which  are  designed  to  be 
framed  and  placed  in  the  Sunday  school  room.  It  is 
not  our  purpose  to  describe  the  school  in  action. 
We  give  only  the  framework,  the  skeleton,  of  the 
organization.  That  the  Spirit  of  the  Living  God 
may  be  ever  present  among  the  wheels  to  bless  and 
to  help  many  Sunday  school  workers  is  the  prayer 
of  the  writer. 

Marion  Lawrance 
Chicago,  June,  1914, 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Foreword vii 

The  Sunday  School  Organized  —  Chart  1 

facing  2 

The  Sunday  School  Organized  —  Chart  2 

facing  3 

I.     The   Church   and  its  Sunday   School  3 

II.     The  Sunday  School  and  its  Cabinet  13 

III.  Other  General  Officers       ....  22 

IV.  General  Departments 38 

V.     Standing  and  Special  Committees  .      .  46 

VI.     The  Divisions 52 

VII.    The  Elementary  Division     ....  57 

VIII.     The  Secondary  Division 67 

IX.    The  Adult  Division 76 

X.    The  Lessons  and  Organization      .     .  81 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ORGANIZED 
FOR  SERVICE 


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THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ORGANIZED 
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I 

THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

THECHURCH 

TeSUS  CHRIST  gave  to  his  disciples  the  specific 
*^  commission  that  they  should  carry  the  gospel  to 
every  corner  of  the  earth.  No  such  program  was 
ever  laid  out  before  nor  since  and,  indeed,  no  such 
program  could  ever  have  been  laid  out  by  any  other 
than  the  Son  of  God.  Nor  can  such  a  program  be 
carried  out  by  any  other  agency  than  the  Church 
of  God. 

We  are  bewildered  in  these  days  by  the  multitude 
of  religious  and  philanthropic  organizations,  devoted 
Too  many      *^  specific  tasks  and  all  claiming  sympathy 
organiza-       and  support.     The  unwisdom  of  this  con- 
^^^  dition  is  becoming  more  and  more  appar- 

ent, and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  Church 
will  awaken  to  a  full  consciousness  of  its  responsibihty 
and  demand  a  simplification  of  the  organization  of 
Christian  forces,  the  combination  of  such  agencies  as 
overlap,  and  the  elimination  of  those  which  are  un- 
necessary. However,  the  Church  must  not  complain 
over-much,  for  most  of  these  organizations  have 
grown  up  in  fields  that  it  has  left  fallow. 


4  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

No  agency  can  be  called  truly  Christian  that  is  not 
in  harmony  with  the  Church  and  seeking  to  carry  out 
The  Church  ^  P^^^  ^^  ^^^  Church's  great  program, 
should  con-  It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  Church 
agencies  itself,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  through 
connected  its  individual  members  should  control,  as 
^^     ^  far  as  possible,   all   agencies   inaugurated 

for  the  purpose  of  extending  the  Kingdom  of 
God  on  earth.  It  is  fundamentally  wrong  to 
regard  the  Sunday  school,  The  Young  People's 
Society,  The  Missionary  Society,  The  Brother- 
hood, and  other  activities  in  a  local  church, 
as  institutions.  The  Church  alone  is  the  insti- 
tution which  bears  the  commission  of  our  Lord 
and  all  of  these  activities  are  subservient  thereto 
and  are  valuable,  for  the  most  part,  only  to 
the  extent  to  which  they  render  proper  allegiance 
to  the  great  institution  out  of  which  they  grew  — 
the  Church. 

All  authority  for  the  Sunday  school  is  vested  in 
the  Church.  However,  in  recognizing  and  assuming 
All  authority  this  authority,  the  Church  must  not  fail 
for  the  Sun-  likewise  to  recognize  both  its  opportunity 
is  vested  in  and  its  responsibility.  There  can  be  no 
the  Church  harvest  without  the  seed-sowing,  and  this 
is  as  true  of  that  Living  Seed,  the  Word  of  God,  as  it 
is  of  corn  or  wheat.  The  responsibility  of  teaching 
the  Word  of  God  is  upon  the  Church,  and  it  does  not 
end  with  the  "families  of  the  Church,"  nor  with  the 
immediate  neighborhood,  for  Christ's  command, 
"Go  ye,  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all  the 
nations,"  still  holds. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE  5 

The  Church,  generally  speaking,  has  been  very 
remiss  and  shortsighted  in  its  attitude  toward  the 
The  Church  Sunday  school.  The  Sunday  schools  of  a 
is  remiss  in  century  or  so  ago  were  really  a  protest 
toward  the  against  the  inactivity  of  the  Church  in 
Sunday  regard    to    teaching    the    Word    of    God; 

^^  °^  and  even  today,  with  all  the  encouraging 

indications  about  us,  the  Church  as  a  whole  cannot 
be  said  to  be  fully  awake  to  its  marvelous  opportu- 
nity, when  probably  not  more  than  one-fourth  of  the 
Church  membership  is  sufficiently  interested  in  the 
Sunday  school  to  attend  its  sessions.  However, 
better  days  are  coming  —  indeed,  they  are  here. 
Greater  advance  has  been  made  in  Sunday  school 
work  and  Bible  study  in  the  past  fifty  years  than 
in  all  the  centuries  gone  before;  and  during  the  past 
ten  years  more  advance  has  been  made  than  in  the 
preceding  forty.  The  handwriting  on  the  wall  is 
The  Church   clear.     The  church  of  the  future  must  be 

of  the  future  ^  Sunday  school  church,  at   least  to  the 

a  Sunday  p       ^  -  .       ,     . 

school  extent  oi  takmg  very  seriously  its  respon- 

church  sibility  for  instructing  the  people,   of  all 

ages,   in    the   Word   of    God.      The   Sunday    school 

offers  the  best  opportunity  for  this,  because  it  is  the 

Bible- teaching  service  of  the  Church.     The  Sunday 

school  is,  also,  the  best  channel  through  which  the 

Church  can  discharge  its  responsibility  to  the  helpless 

and  needy,   and   to   the  community   in  general,   by 

means  of  what  is  known  as  "Social  Service." 

The  Sunday  school,  therefore,  is  not  to  be  regarded 

as  an  institution  separate  from  the  Church,  and  those 

misguided  superintendents  and  Sunday  school  leaders 


6  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

—  of  whom,  unfortunately,  there  are  not  a  few  — 
who  look  upon  the  Sunday  school  as  solely  their 
The  Sunday  work,  without  recognizing  responsibihty 
school  is  not  |q  i]^q  church  and  its  officials,  must  rapidly 
from  the  give  way  to  leaders  of  larger  vision  and 
Church  more    loyal    heart.     No  suffering  church, 

however,  should  expect  this  happy  estate  unless  it 
gives  to  the  Sunday  school  its  rightful  place  in  its 
own  heart-life,  and  a  strong  administration. 


THE     OFFICIAL     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 
COMMITTEE 

The  church's  responsibility  for  carrying  out  its  pol- 
icy toward  its  Sunday  school  should  be  placed  with 
some  duly  constituted  committee,  organized  for  that 
purpose,  or  with  that  purpose  as  part  of  its  legitimate 
work.  In  some  denominations  the  general  adminis- 
tration of  the  Sunday  school  affairs  is  definitely 
provided  for  in  committees  that  have  other  responsi- 
bilities, like  the  Session  of  the  Presbyterian  Church; 
A  committee  and  in  still  others  there  is  the  Special  Com- 
c^osen  by  mittee,  as  in  the  Sunday  School  Board  of 
should  have  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  It  is 
oversight  essential  that  some  such  committee,  duly 
Sunday  constituted   by   the   church,    should   have 

school  general   oversight   of    the   Sunday  school 

and  all  of  its  affairs.  It  does  not  follow  that  this 
oversight  should  reach  to  the  extent  of  detailed 
administration,  thus  thwarting  individuality  and  ag- 
gressiveness on  the  part  of  the  Sunday  school 
workers  themselves.     It  does  follow,  however,  that 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE  7 

such  oversight  should  be  sufficiently  forceful  to  pre- 
vent anything  from  being  done  in  the  Sunday  school 
that  is  contrary  to  the  expressed  policy  of  the 
church. 

This  committee  should  not  assume  the  role  of  dicta- 
tor but  rather  that  of  counsellor,  provider  and  friend. 
This  com-  The  closest  relationship  should  exist  be- 
*^**®^ ,    ,     tween  such  a  committee  and  another  com- 

SnOUldlOOk  .  lo  ^  n*    ^  i/-.i'  i«i 

out  for  the  mittee,  the  Sunday  School  Cabinet,  which 
needs  of  jg  iq  \^q  described  later.  Indeed,  they 
and  its  im-  should  have  frequent  meetings  together, 
provement  This  committee  should  lead  and  not  fol- 
low. It  should  not  wait  until  the  needs  of  the 
school,  as  to  suitable  buildings,  equipment,  lesson 
courses,  etc.,  are  forced  upon  it;  it  should  be  think- 
ing ahead  of  the  school.  This  will  be  impossible 
unless,  as  individuals,  the  members  of  this  committee 
maintain  an  active  relationship  to  the  school.  No 
such  committee  can  hold  aloof  from  the  Sunday 
school  and  at  the  same  time  administer  wisely  the 
affairs  of  the  school.  Such  aloofness  has  caused 
much  friction  in  the  past  and  friction  will  continue 
until  the  cause  is  remedied.  The  church  could  hardly 
do  a  wiser  thing  than  to  require  actual  membership 
in  the  Sunday  school  as  a  condition  of  eligibility 
to  membership  upon  this  committee. 

THE     PASTOR 

The  church  is  coming  more  and  more  to  recognize 
the  rightful  place  of  the  pastor.  He  is  the  man  whom 
God  has  set  apart  for  this  high  office.  In  many  cases, 
he  has  turned  aside  from  the  lure  of  the  business  world 


8  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

to  answer  the  divine  call  and  to  devote  his  life  to  his 
fellow  men,  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  As  a  class, 
the  pastors  of  our  churches  are  unselfish,  consecrated, 
high-minded,  warm-hearted,  overworked  and  under- 
paid servants  of  God.  No  great  movement  for 
betterment  has  ever  taken  place,  and  no  great  ad- 
vance in  civic  and  religious  affairs  has  ever  been  made, 
but  the  pastors  supported  it,  leading  their  churches. 
There  was  a  day  when  "pastor"  and  "preacher** 
were  well-nigh  synonymous  but  that  day  is  past. 
The  duties  The  duties  of  a  pastor  are  many.  He  is 
of  a  pastor  |- j^g  shepherd  of  his  flock  —  adviser,  coun- 
sellor, confidant,  sympathizer,  and  friend.  He  marries 
the  young,  ministers  to  the  suffering,  and  buries  the 
dead.  He  stands  in  the  community  and  before  the 
world  for  every  form  of  righteousness  and  Christian 
propaganda.  He  must  know  what  is  going  on  in 
educational  circles  about  him.  He  is  a  politician,  in 
the  best  sense  —  in  that  he  studies  community  condi- 
tions and  seeks  to  promote  good  men  and  righteous 
measures.  Of  course,  primarily,  he  must  be  a  preacher, 
but,  to  sum  up  all  of  his  duties,  he  is  a  Christian 
leader.  No  man  in  any  community  can  exert  a  more 
far-reaching  influence  than  the  loyal,  efficient,  faithful 
Influence  of  pastor  of  a  church.  In  his  hands,  more 
the  pastor  than  in  the  hands  of  any  other  man  or  of 
any  committee,  rests  the  welfare  of  his  church.  He 
should  be  loyally  supported,  wisely  counselled,  and 
faithfully  protected.  He  will  probably  be  the  most 
active  figure  in  the  Sunday  School  Committee  referred 
to,  and,  therefore,  the  most  vital  factor  in  the  adminis- 
tration  of   the   school,   from   the   standpoint   of   the 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE  9 

church.     No  one  person  can  help  or  hinder  the  school 
as  can  the  pastor. 

Before  assuming  his  first  charge,  the  pastor  should 
have  received  very  definite  training  as  a  Sunday 
Ministers  school  leader.  He  should  have  received 
should  be  |-jjjg  training  at  the  same  time  and  in  the 
trained  for  i  i        i  •       i  i  •        i 

Sunday  same  place  that  he  received  nis  other  tram- 

school  work  jjjg  —  namely,  the  theological  seminary. 
It  is  as  important  that  he  should  be  a  teacher  of 
teachers  and  a  trainer  of  trainers  as  that  he  should 
be  a  preacher  of  sermons.  One  of  the  most  helpful 
signs  of  our  times  is  the  recent  attitude  of  the  theo- 
logical seminaries  toward  the  Sunday  school.  They 
have  always  paid  some  attention  to  it  but  many  of 
them  altogether  too  little.  Perhaps  a  little  less  time 
spent  studying  about  the  ancient  "Church  Fathers" 
and  a  little  more  time  spent  studying  about  the 
modern  '* Church  Sons'*  would  have  found  us  farther 
on  our  way.  Within  the  past  ten  years,  however, 
Progress  in  l^^ge  numbers  of  seminaries  in  the  United 
theSemina-  States  and  Canada  have  added  special 
Sunday  school  courses,  and  some  have 
even  put  in  Sunday  school  professorships.  The  day 
is  coming  when  a  seminary  without  a  specific  chair 
on  religious  education,  pedagogy,  child  study,  and 
the  history  and  administration  of  the  Sunday  school 
will  be  considered  as  deficient  as  if  it  lacked  the 
chair  on  homiletics. 

The  pastor  should  be  a  student  of  the  Sunday  school 
movement.  He  should  attend  Sunday  school  con- 
ventions, denominational  and  interdenominational, 
and  read  current  Sunday  school  books  and  literature. 


10  THE     SUNDAY     SCPIOOL 

In  every  way  at  his  command,  he  should  keep  abreast 
of  the  times  as  a  Sunday  school  specialist.  If  possible, 
he  should  be  a  better  superintendent  than  his  super- 
intendent, and  a  better  teacher  than  the  teachers  in 
Children  ^^^  school.  If  his  Sunday  school  is  what 
should  enter  it  ought  to  be,  and  what  by  his  coopera- 
from  the^  ^^^^  ^^  may  be,  he  will  receive  into  his 
Sunday  church,    from    its    ranks,    more    members 

than  from  all  other  sources  combined. 
It  ought,  therefore,  to  be  a  short  step  from  the 
Sunday  school  into  the  church.  It  rests  largely  with 
the  pastor  how  long  that  step  shall  be. 

The  pastor  who  expects  to  control  the  policies  of 
his  Sunday  school,  however,  simply  because  he  is 
pastor,  will  be  disappointed.     He  must  be  a  leader 

_      ,     , .      in  his  school  or  he  cannot  be  a  leader  of 

Leadership 

based  on        his    school.     The    ability  to    lead    is    not 

intimate  vested  in  titles.  It  comes  from  actual 
knowledge  .     .  .  ,      , 

contact  and  association  with  those  to  be 

led  and  from  superior  knowledge  of  the  things  for 
which  they  stand.  His  leadership,  however,  ought 
not  to  be  that  of  domination  but  rather  that  of 
working  through  others.  Every  display  of  authority 
lessens  authority. 

No  pastor  can  do  a  wiser  or  more  profitable  thing 
than  to  be  in  full  cooperation  and  sympathy  with  his 
Pastor  Sunday  school,  for  there  he  comes  face  to 

should  be  f^^.^  ^jj-j^  ^^^  strong  young  people  who  in 
present  at  an  •niii'i 

sessions  of     the  years  to  come  will  make  the  church. 

the  school  Accordingly,  he  should  be  in  vital,  active 
relationship  to  the  Sunday  school,  always  present  at 
its  sessions  and  interested  in  everything  it  does. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       11 


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ORGANIZED     FOR    SERVICE         13 

II 
THE    SUNDAY   SCHOOL   AND    ITS   CABINET 

THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

X  HE  position  occupied  by  the  Sunday  school,  as 
indicated  in  both  charts,  is  intended  to  illustrate  its 
relation  to  the  church,  the  Official  Sunday  School 
Committee  and  the  pastor,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
superintendent  and  all  the  other  officers  and  teachers, 
on  the  other.  Inasmuch  as  this  book  is  devoted 
exclusively  to  the  Sunday  school,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  say  but  little  about  the  school  at  this  point. 

The  relation  of  the  Sunday  school  to  the  church, 
as  a  church  service,  for  teaching  and  studying  God's 
Word,  as  a  channel  for  social  service  and  missionary 
and  temperance  endeavor,  should  be  fully  recognized 
by  all  who  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  The  Sunday 
school  is  rapidly  coming  to  its  own.  Its  growth  and 
development  have  been  the  marvel  of  all  who  are 
Growth  of  interested  in  the  religious  movements  of 
Sunday  our   times.     There   are  at  present    about 

school  300,000  Sunday  schools  in  the  world,  with 

an  enrollment  of  more  than  30,000,000  members. 
There  are  2,500,000  voluntary,  unpaid  officers  and 
teachers,  who,  for  the  most  part,  are  earnest,  conse- 
crated, devoted  men  and  women.  Such  an  army  as 
this  the  world  has  never  seen  in  any  other  single  line 
of  Christian  activity. 


14  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

The  possibilities  of  the  Sunday  school  are  beyond 
computation.     Without  a  doubt,  we  have  not  yet 

begun  to  realize  its  full  scope  and  power, 
bilities  o/the  Its  adaptability  to  all  fields,  its  simplicity 
Sunday  ^f  organization,  its  lack  of  conventionality 

in  its  activities,  all  contribute  to  its  effect- 
iveness. When  any  church  becomes  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  Sunday  school  idea,  an  effective 
Sunday  school  usually  follows;  and  good  Sunday 
schools  make  good  churches. 


GENERAL     SUPERINTENDENT 

The  title  "General  Superintendent,"  for  the  chief 
executive  of  the  Sunday  school,  is  used  because,  in 
the  ordinarily  accepted  nomenclature,  a  superin- 
tendent is  placed  at  the  head  of  each  department. 
Personally,  I  prefer  the  word  "principal"  as  the  title 
of  one  in  charge  of  a  department,  as  it  is  more  in 
keeping  with  the  use  of  the  word  in  the  public  schools. 
The  superintendent  is  at  the  head  of  the  school  system 
in  a  city;  the  principals  are  each  in  charge  of  a  build- 
ing, with  teachers  under  their  care.  If  the  word 
"principal"  were  used,  I  would  drop  the  word  "Gen- 
eral" and  use  the  one  word  "Superintendent,"  for 
the  chief  officer  of  the  Sunday  school.  It  is  impossi- 
ble, in  our  brief  space,  to  speak  adequately  of  the 
superintendent  as  a  man,  an  officer,  a  student,  an 
organizer,  and  a  leader.  Many  books  have  been 
written  on  the  subject.  For  our  present  purpose, 
we  must  be  content  to  speak  of  him  as  an  officer  and 
a  leader. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       15 

First  of  all,  he  must  come  to  his  task  with  authority. 

That  authority  should  come  from  the  church,  because 

_^  he  represents  the  church  in  the  adminis- 

The  super-  •  ,.  p    •  .    •  •  * 

intendent       tration    oi    one    oi    its    activities.     As    an 

must  have  officer,  therefore,  he  should  be  elected  by 
authority  . 

the    church    and    be    responsible    to    the 

church.  The  church  may  delegate  this  responsibility 
to  a  committee,  as  previously  indicated,  but  the 
church,  as  such,  does  not  thereby  relieve  itself  of  the 
responsibility  to  elect  and  properly  support  the  super- 
intendent of  its  Sunday  school. 

The  superintendent  should  be  recognized  as  the 
chief  executive  officer  of  the  school.  Naturally,  he 
will  give  more  time  to  it  than  any  other  person,  and 
his  plans  should  be  given  careful  consideration; 
and,  unless  found  contrary  to  the  policy  of  the  church, 
they  should  usually  be  carried  out.  Since  he  is  to 
be  held  responsible  for  the  organization  of  the  school, 
Superin-  ^^  should  nominate,  at  least,  if  not  appoint, 
tendent  all   the   other   officers,   and   be   associated 

noSnate  ^i^h.  the  pastor  and  the  departmental 
all  other  superintendents  in  the  selection  of  the 
teachers.  Many  a  competent  superin- 
tendent has  failed  as  an  executive  officer  because  he 
was  not  permitted  to  select  those  upon  whom  he 
was  obliged  to  depend  to  carry  out  his  plans.  If  the 
other  Sunday  school  officers  chosen  by  a  church  com- 
mittee are  not  in  fullest  sympathy  with  the  superin- 
tendent, he  will  be  unable  to  do  good  work. 

Let  great  care  be  taken  by  the  church  in  selecting 
this  important  officer;  but  when  he  is  chosen  give 
him  the  liberty  that  is  necessary  to  secure  the  best 


16  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

results.  This  is  where  his  abiUty  as  an  organizer 
must  be  shown.  He  can  do  very  little  of  the  detail 
work  himself  but  as  an  organizer  he  must  be  able  to 
select  those  who  will  effectively  cooperate  with  him. 
The  ability  to  organize  and  the  ability  to  lead 
are  not  the  same.  Many  superintendents  are  good 
organizers  but  poor  leaders.  The  difference  is  that 
of  the  drill-master  in  camp  and  the  field-officer  in 
battle.  All  that  was  said  above  in  relation  to  the 
pastor  as  a  leader  applies,  with  greater  force,  to  the 
superintendent,  for  he  is  usually  a  voluntary,  unpaid 

officer.  As  a  leader  he  must  command 
intendent  the  love  and  confidence  of  his  associates 
°^ust  com-  Qj.  i^g  cannot  command  their  cooperation, 
confidence  It  was  said  of  Napoleon  that  his  presence 
o^liis  ^as  equal  to  that  of  20,000  of  his  men. 

This  statement  grew  out  of  the  confidence 
his  soldiers  had  in  him  as  a  leader.  While  some  of 
the  principles  of  leadership  are  the  same  in  warfare 
and  in  the  Sunday  school,  they  are,  nevertheless, 
quite  unlike  in  many  of  the  essentials.  In  Christian 
work,  as  in  nature,  the  silent  forces  are  the  strongest. 
To  make  The  superintendent  who  organizes  his 
himself  un-  school  so  as  to  reduce  to  a  minimum  the 
necessary  is  -^        i?  i  •  j.      i 

the  leader's  necessity  oi  his  own  actual  presence  is  a 

highest  task  ^jg^  leader.  It  is  said  of  a  physician  that 
he  renders  his  best  service  when  he  renders  his  service 
unnecessary.  The  physician's  service  is  necessary, 
however,  before  it  becomes  unnecessary.  This  is  true 
of  the  superintendent.  ''• 

No  real  leader  runs  ahead  of  his  associates  and 
snaps  the  cord  that  binds  them  together.     He  remains 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       17 

with  them  and  inspires,  guides,  directs,  and  enthuses 
them,  and  when  the  battle  is  won,  apparently  by  them 
and  not  by  himself,  he  rejoices.  Not  all  is  joy,  how- 
ever, with  a  leader.  There  is  much  of  loneliness, 
misunderstanding,  and  suffering.  This  is  part  of 
the  price  that  must  be  paid  and  always  is  paid  by 
everyone  who  really  leads. 

Bishop  Brent,  in  his  excellent  book  entitled  "Leader- 
ship," ^  says: 

"Men  walk  singly  and  alone  only  until  the  right 
voice  calls  them  to  follow.  The  world  is  greedy  for 
leadership,  so  much  so  that  it  is  easy  to  impose  upon 
the  credulity  of  the  multitudes,  but  this  makes  it  all 
the  more  necessary  that  your  leadership  should  be  a 
real  thing,  sound  to  the  core,  determined  as  Fate,  pure 
as  the  sea.  ...  A  leader  is  one  who  goes  before.  He 
keeps  in  advance  of  the  crowd  without  detaching  him- 
self from  the  crowd  but  so  influencing  them  as  to  attach 
them  to  his  ideal  selfhood.  .  .  .  Leaders  must  be  pre- 
pared for  pain  —  the  pain  of  loneliness,  the  hardest  of 
all  discipline  to  the  social  nature;  of  visions  ridiculed; 
enthusiasm  misunderstood;  plans  rejected  by  those  in 
whose  interests  they  were  formulated.  You  cannot 
have  the  joy  of  leadership  without  its  discipline  or,  at 
times,  its  anguish." 

After  thirty-one  years  of  Sunday  school  superin- 
tending and  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  public  Sunday 
school  work,  as  a  general  secretary,  although  realizing 
that  much  of  my  work  has  fallen  far  below  my  ideals, 
I  can,  nevertheless,  testify  to  the  truth  of  Bishop 
Brent *s  words.  In  a  very  peculiar  sense,  and  espe- 
cially   so    in    Sunday    school    work,    true    leadership 

1  Longmans,  Green  &  Co. 


18  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

consists  in  losing  one's  life  in  order  that  one  may 
find  it. 

THE     superintendent's     CABINET 

The  Superintendent's  Cabinet  is  composed  of  the 
general  officers  and  departmental  superintendents  of 
the  school.  If  these  officers  have  been  wisely  chosen, 
the  efficiency  of  the  Cabinet  is  assured.  When  the 
Cabinet  is  in  session,  the  superintendent  can  place 
All  depart-     his  finger  on  any  spot  in  the  school,  for  all 

mentsofthe  ^j^g  representatives  are  there.  It  is  the 
school  repre-  ,  ,  , 

sented  in  the  laboratory,  the  pattern-room,  the  power- 
Cabinet  house  of  the  school.  What  the  national 
Cabinet  is  to  the  president  of  the  United  States,  the 
board  of  directors  to  the  bank,  this  Cabinet  is  to 
the  superintendent  of  the  school.  No  plan  affecting 
the  whole  school  can  be  made  intelligently  with- 
out the  cooperation  of  the  entire  Cabinet.  Indeed, 
no  wise  and  permanent  plans  can  be  made  affecting 
a  given  department,  without  the  cooperation  of  all. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  introduce  anything  into  one 
department  that  would  have  a  bad  influence  on  other 
departments,  if  all  the  representatives  were  present 
when  it  was  being  discussed. 

The  Cabinet  should  meet  regularly,  at  least  once  a 
month  —  once  a  week  is  better  —  for  the  study  of 
the  school.  It  should  concentrate  on  the  weak  places. 
It  is  the  clearing-house  of  the  school.  The  Super- 
intendent's Cabinet  will  energize,  regulate,  systema- 
tize, and  unify  the  operations  of  the  whole  school. 
It  is  the  cement  that  binds  the  classes  into  a  working 
whole.     It  leads  the  battalions  to  face  in  one  direc- 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       19 

tion  and  enables  them  to  keep  step  as  they  advance 
together.  It  effectually  thwarts  the  faddist  in  any 
department  and  creates  an  esprit  de  corps,  which  is 
essential  to  the  best  results.  The  pastor  is  a  member 
of  the  Cabinet,  because  he  is  pastor  of  the  church, 
and  in  no  other  place  can  he  make  his  influence  felt 
to  greater  advantage  for  the  uphft  and  betterment 
of  the  school  than  here. 

PERSONNEL   OF   THE   SUPERINTEND- 
ENT'S CABINET 

The  Superintendent's  Cabinet  would,  therefore, 
be  made  up  of  the  following  persons  in  a  school  of 
two  hundred  or  less,  according  to  Chart  Number  1, 
with  other  general  officers  added  as  elected: 

Pastor 

General  Superintendent 

Associate  Superintendent 

Secretary 

Treasurer 

Classification  Superintendent 

Librarian 

Birthday  Secretary 

Missionary  Superintendent 

Temperance  Superintendent 

Teacher  Training  Superintendent 

Music  Director 

Cradle  Roll  Department  Superintendent 

Beginners*  Department  Superintendent 

Primary  Department  Superintendent 

Junior  Department  Superintendent 


^0               THESUNDAYSCHOOL  | 

Intermediate  Department  Superintendent  \ 

Senior  Department  Superintendent  \ 

Adult  Department  Superintendent  \ 

Home  Department  Superintendent  \ 

For  larger  schools,  as  provided  for  in  Chart  Number        ,: 

2,  the  personnel  of  the  Cabinet  would  consist  of  the         j 

following  persons,  with  other  general  oflBcers  added  as         | 

elected :  J 

Pastor 

General  Superintendent  ) 

Educational  Director  \ 

Associate  Superintendent  > 

General  Secretary  ? 

General  Treasurer  ; 

Enrollment  Secretary  ' 

Classification  Superintendent  \ 

Supply  Teachers'  Superintendent  j 

Librarian  j 

Historian  \ 

Birthday  Secretary  > 

Missionary  Superintendent  \ 

Temperance  Superintendent  , 

Teacher  Training  Superintendent  < 

Musical  Director  j 

Financial  Director  \ 

Athletic  Director  ^ 

The    chairmen    of    the    following    standing    com- 
mittees, and  the  other  officers  named  below,  would 
also  be  included:  j 
Ushers                                           '  ;, 
Doormen  ' 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       21 

Courtesy 

Social 

House 

Aides 

Messengers 

President  of  the  Alumni 

Cradle  Roll  Department  Superintendent 

Beginners'  Department  Superintendent 

Primary  Department  Superintendent 

Junior  Department  Superintendent 

{Intermediate  Department  Superintendent 
Senior  Department  Superintendent 
or 

{Boys'  Department  Superintendent 
Girls'  Department  Superintendent 
or 
'Teen  Age  Department  Superintendent 
Adult  Department  Superintendent 
Home  Department  Superintendent  | 

Parents'  Department  Superintendent 

I  would  add  to  this  list  also  some  representative 

of  the  organized  classes.     If  there  is  a  federation  of  i 
organized  classes  in  the  school,  the  chief  officer  of 

the  federation  should  be  a  member  of  the  Cabinet.  \ 

As    new   officers    or    departments    are    added,    for  I 

example,  superintendent  of  hand-work,  Department  1 

of,  etc.,  etc.,  there  should  likewise  be  corresponding  \ 

representation  on  the  Cabinet.  ] 


22  THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL 

III 

OTHER   GENERAL  OFFICERS 


T] 


EDUCATIONAL     DIRECTOR 


HIS  is  comparatively  a  new  office  but  it  is  one 
which  is  rapidly  coming  into  favor  because  of  the 
increased  interest  in  educational  Sunday  school  work. 
It  is  more  and  more  apparent  that  the  Sunday  school 
superintendent,  especially  in  a  good-sized  school, 
will  have  his  hands  too  full  with  matters  of  admin- 
istration to  give  this  important  function  of  the  school 
The  educa-    work  —  religious    education  —  the    atten- 

*\?°^A^^^  tion  it  should  have.  Furthermore,  the 
should  be  m      -  .        i    .  i       «    ,         i       i  •  i 

charge  of  a    educational  side  oi  the  school  is  much  more 

specialist  likely  to  be  properly  developed  if  it  is  in 
the  hands  of  a  specialist  or  some  other  person  who 
can  devote  adequate  time  to  it.  In  many  churches 
nowadays  there  is  a  committee  on  religious  educa- 
tion, having  in  charge  the  instruction  given  not  only 
in  the  Sunday  school,  but  also  in  all  other  depart- 
ments of  the  church  life.  It  would  be  an  ideal  plan 
for  one  member  of  that  committee,  if  otherwise  prop- 
erly qualified,  to  be  appointed  as  the  educational 
director  of  the  school.  This  officer  would  then  be- 
come the  living  link  between  the  Sunday  school  and 
the  church  committee  on  religious  education.  The 
results  are  likely  to  be  much  more  satisfactory  by 
this  arrangement  than  if  the  educational  director  is 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       23 

not  in  touch  with  the  church  committee.  If  this 
position  is  well  filled  in  any  school,  the  superintendent 
will  be  greatly  relieved  because  of  the  enlarged  oppor- 
tunity he  has  to  devote  himself  to  administration, 
and,  if  he  is  wise,  he  will  congratulate  himself  and  the 
school  as  well. 

The  educational  director  should  keep  abreast  of 
the  times  in  all  matters  of  religious  education  related 
to  the  Sunday  school.  He  should  keep  in  close  touch 
also  with  the  teachers  of  the  school,  so  as  to  ascertain 
whether  the  lessons  are  adapted  to  the  classes  where 
Conferences  ^^^^  ^^^  used.  He  should  not  only  know 
with  the  what  is  going  on  in  all  the  classes  but 
should  see  that  the  desired  results  are 
attained.  This  will  require  occasional  meetings  with 
the  teachers  as  a  body,  or  by  departments,  and 
frequent  conferences  with  them  individually.  Some 
Sunday  school  specialists  of  our  day  claim  that  the 
educational  director  should  be  chosen  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  superintendent  and  should  have  equal 
authority  with  him.  It  is  evident  that  the  church 
should  have  the  right  to  nominate,  at  least,  if  not  to 
select,  the  educational  director,  but  the  superintend- 
ent's place  as  the  administrative  head  of  the  school 
must  be  undisputed  and  unshared,  if  the  best  results 
are  to  follow. 

ASSOCIATE     SUPERINTENDENTS 

Sunday  schools  are  oftener  under-officered  than 
over-officered.  The  rule  determining  the  number  of 
associate  superintendents  is  exceedingly  flexible. 
Indeed,  there  is  no  rule  except  that  of  expediency. 


24  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

It  is  a  sign  of  a  good  superintendent  that  he  gathers 
about  him  capable  persons  to  serve  as  his  associates. 
In  a  real  sense,  they  are  understudies  for  his  position 
or  for  a  similar  position  elsewhere  at  a  future  time. 
Rotation  in  Associate  superintendents  should  not  be 
duties  required  to  do  the  same  kind  of  work  con- 

necessary  tinuously:  one  associate  doing  one  kind 
of  work  and  another  a  different  kind,  without  inter- 
changing. Associate  superintendents  who  become 
familiar  with  all  departments  of  the  school  will  be 
most  effective  in  the  positions  they  hold  and  soonest 
fitted  for  larger  ones.  They  are,  in  a  true  sense,  the 
superintendent's  partners.  If  superintendents  were 
more  careful  in  the  training  of  their  associates  there 
would  be  fewer  unfortunate  breaks  in  the  life  of  the 
Sunday  school  when  the  superintendent  moves  away 
or  gives  up  his  place.  For  given  periods  of  time  the 
various  associates  should  have  specific  duties  to 
perform;  meanwhile,  they  should  be  always  alert  to 
see  and  do  the  thing  that  should  be  done,  whether  it 
is  assigned  to  them  or  not,  provided  there  is  no  one 
else  at  hand  to  do  it.  In  no  department  of  the  school 
Team-work  is  there  so  much  need  for  genuine  team- 
necessary  work  as  there  is  with  the  superintendent 
and  his  associates.  If,  for  any  reason,  the  superin- 
tendent is  not  present  on  a  given  Sunday,  whether 
his  absence  is  expected  beforehand  or  not,  there 
should  be  no  occasion  to  enquire  who  should  preside 
in  his  place.  That  must  be  settled  beforehand.  It 
is  desirable  that  one  of  the  superintendents  be  con- 
stantly on  the  platform,  not  as  a  spy  but  to  study 
the  school.     The  associate  whose  duty  it  is  to  be  on 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       25 

the  platform  when  the  superintendent  is  not  there 

should  know  his  position  without  being  told  each  time 

he  is  needed. 

Many  superintendents  iSnd  it  profitable  to  place 

one  of  the  associates  in  charge  of  specific  features  of 

the  platform  work.     It  may  be  his  task  to 

work  shared  take  charge  of  the  opening  of  the  school  on 

by  the  Q^e  Sunday  and  the  closing  exercises  on 

associates 

another,    or   he    may    be   responsible   for 

making  the  announcements,  etc.    This  should  be  done 

frequently,  the  superintendent  selecting  one  associate 

on   one   Sunday   and    another    on   another    Sunday. 

Whoever  is  to  render  any  special  service  of  this  kind, 

however,  should  know  of  it  in  advance. 

The  following  duties  may  be  assigned  to  the  asso- 
ciate superintendents: 

See  that  all  absent  officers  and  teachers  are  given 
proper  attention.  Specially  look  after  such  absentees 
_^  ,       as  are  ill.     Study  the  order  and  discipline 

associate  of  the  school.  See  that  the  other  officers 
superin-  g^j.^  doing  their  work  properly.  Cooperate 
with  the  pastor  in  securing  church  attend- 
ance. Plan  ahead  for  special  occasions,  such  as 
Children's  Day,  Rally  Day,  etc.  Study  the  records 
with  the  secretary  in  order  to  find  the  weak  places. 
Be  sure  that  the  grading  is  being  maintained.  Study 
the  finances  with  the  treasurer,  with  a  view  to  increase 
the  amount  and  secure  more  regularity  in  giving. 
Study  the  benevolences  of  the  school.  Become 
familiar  with  the  library  and  the  method  of  its  use. 
See  that  new  members  are  properly  received.  Study 
the  departments,  one  at  a  time,  to  ascertain  whether 


26  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

they  are  doing  their  best  work.  See  that  visitors 
receive  proper  attention.  Look  after  the  social  Hfe 
of  the  school.  See  whether  the  Athletic  Depart- 
ment is  properly  managed.  Help  to  develop  the 
week-day  activities  of  the  organized  classes.  Give 
attention  to  the  Sunday  school  music,  in  conference 
with  the  musical  director.  Ascertain  whether  the 
equipment  is  adequate  in  all  departments. 

The  duties  mentioned  above  are  suggestive  only. 
The  associate  superintendents  are  not  to  do  the  work 
assigned  to  others  but  should  be  competent  and  ready 
to  do  anything  that  needs  to  be  done,  to  see  that 
everything  is  in  running  order  and  to  keep  it  so. 

There  should  be  a  minimum  of  floor-walking  and 
moving  about  and  a  maximum  of  open-eyed  alertness. 

THE     SECRETARY 

It  is  impossible  to  overestimate  the  value,  to  any 
Sunday  school,  of  a  really  good  secretary.  He  always 
The  school  knows  and  never  guesses.  His  records  are 
records  j^^p^  i^  such  a  way  that  he  can  report  at 

any  moment  the  actual  present  enrollment  of  the  whole 
school  or  of  any  department.  He  studies  how  to 
make  his  reports  helpful  to  the  school  by  way  of  com- 
parison and  incentive.  His  records  show  all  im- 
portant facts  about  every  member  of  the  school,  facts 
as  to  entry,  promotion,  joining  the  church,  leaving, 
etc.  Records  of  this  kind,  properly  kept,  are  of 
great  and  increasing  value,  while  records  which  cannot 
be  depended  upon  are  useless. 

The  secretary  should  carefully  instruct  all  of  the 
teachers  in  regard  to  class-marking  and  see  that  they 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       27 

follow  the  plans  exactly.  He  should  be  kind,  patient, 
and  courteous,  neat  in  his  work  and  absolutely  de- 
pendable. Usually  people  who  occupy  clerical  posi- 
tions during  the  week  make  the  best  secretaries. 

The  secretary  should  look  upon  his  position  as  the 
most  important  one  in  the  school  and  study  his  work 
The  secre-     diligently  from  every  standpoint.     A  Sun- 

tary  should  (jg^y  school,  for  instance,  may  show  about 
study  attend-   ,  i  ,    i 

ance  figures   the  same  average  attendance,  as  a  whole, 

and  keep  the  throughout  a  given  period,  and  if  the  sec- 
tendent  retary  knows  that  the  Intermediate  De- 
informed  partment  is  losing  steadily  and  the  Junior 
Department  is  gaining  proportionately,  he  is  in  posi- 
tion to  give  the  superintendent  such  information  as 
will  enable  him  to  deal  with  the  matter  intelligently. 
In  countless  similar  cases  his  technical  knowledge 
of  conditions  will  help  the  superintendent.  His 
quarterly  and  annual  reports  should  reveal  to  the 
superintendent  what  the  inventory  of  a  department 
store  reveals  to  the  manager  —  namely,  departments 
that  are  gaining,  departments  that  are  losing,  and 
also  the  general  condition. 

THETREASURER 

The  Lord's  money  should  be  handled  with  as  much 
precision  and  care  as  the  money  in  a  bank.  The 
All  expend!-  records  of  receipts  and  expenditures  should 
ture  must  be  ^^g  carefully  made,  so  as  to  show  where  the 
thorized  and  money  comes  from  and  how  it  is  expended, 
recorded  Qf  course  no  money  will  ever  be  expended 
except  upon  the  proper  action  of  a  committee  or  an 
individual  empowered  to  authorize  its  payment.     We 


28  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

are  almost  tempted  to  class  the  treasurer  of  the  school 
as  a  member  of  the  Educational  Department,  for 
certainly  there  can  be  no  feature  of  Christian  educa- 
tion more  important  than  that  of  training  the  scholars 
in  proper  methods  of  giving.  One  generation  of 
Sunday  school  pupils  well  trained  in  the  grace  of 
giving  to  the  Lord's  work  would  do  away  with  most 
of  the  debts  of  churches  and  missionary  boards. 

Thje  treasurer  should  study  the  Sunday  school  very 
carefully,  with  a  view  to  developing  intelligent  giving, 
Intelligent  rather  than  large  giving;  for  intelligent 
giving  giving  will  become  large  giving.     Such  a 

study  will  be  interesting  as  well  as  profitable.  For 
instance,  in  a  large  number  of  schools,  the  treasurer 
will  discover  that  the  young  women,  many  of  whom 
are  not  supposed  to  be  earning  money,  contribute 
more  largely  than  the  young  men.  He  will  learn 
also  that  in  very  few  schools  is  the  giving  in  propor- 
tion to  the  ability.  If  the  average  per  capita  is  but 
two  cents  per  Sunday,  he  should  endeavor,  by  wise 
leadership  and  occasional  announcements  from  the 
platform,  to  raise  it  to  three  cents  and  then  to  four 
and  then  to  five,  and  so  on,  until  the  school  is  giving 
Systematic  all  it  should.  He  should  try  to  secure 
giving  definite   weekly  pledges   from    all   of   the 

members,  except  in  the  younger  departments,  and 
should  provide  them  with  envelopes,  that  they  may 
learn  to  become  systematic  givers  while  in  the  Sunday 
school.  It  will  be  good  training  for  their  church  life 
later.  Frequent  reports  to  the  school  of  its  financial 
condition  will  be  helpful.  A  school  should  always  be 
informed,  also,  concerning  the  use  that  is  made  of  its 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       29 

money.  No  treasurer  could  render  a  better  service 
than  to  lead  the  scholars  out  of  the  duty  of  giving 
into  the  joy  of  giving,  and  to  teach  them  that  right 
giving  is  worship.  If  there  is  a  finance  committee  in 
the  school,  the  treasurer  should  keep  in  close  touch 
with  it  and  comply  with  all  of  its  requirements. 

THE  ENROLLMENT  SECRETARY 

This  office  is  frequently  combined  with  that  of  the 
general  secretary  of  the  school  or  with  that  of  the 
superintendent  of  classification.  In  Sunday  schools 
of  considerable  size,  however,  there  is  opportunity  to 
render  a  service  here  that  is  somewhat  more  valuable 
than  can  be  rendered  by  either  of  these  officers, 
burdened  as  they  are  with  the  various  kinds  of  work 
that  they  are  expected  to  do.  It  would  be  entirely 
proper  for  the  enrollment  secretary  to  be  under  the 
direction  of  the  secretary.  The  work  required  is  that 
of  keeping  a  live,  up-to-date  list  of  the  school  member- 
ship.    This  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  do. 

It  is  well,  also,  to  put  into  the  hands  of  this  officer 
the  keeping  of  the  records  of  honor,  so  that  at  the  end 
The  records  of  a  given  quarter  he  can  tell  how  many 
of  honor  Qf  i]^q  members  in  the  various  departments 
have  reached  the  standing  required  for  mention  upon 
the  Roll  of  Honor  or  for  other  recognition.  He  will 
supply,  for  the  most  part,  the  information  needed  by 
the  historian  of  the  school.  His  records  may  be  kept 
in  a  book  or  by  the  card  system.  The  latter  is  now 
generally  looked  upon  with  the  more  favor. 


30  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

THE    SUPERINTENDENT    OF      CLAS- 
SIFICATION 

This  oflScer  is  sometimes  called  ''Superintendent  of 
Grading."  There  is  no  position  more  difficult  to 
Grading  the  maintain  properly.  It  should  be  occupied 
school  \yy  a  person  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 

grading  of  the  school  and  one  who  has  absolute  au- 
thority to  place  all  members  in  their  proper  depart- 
ments. No  school  can  remain  a  graded  school  if  it 
permits  scholars  to  enter  any  class  they  like,  or  if 
it  permits  teachers  to  enroll  scholars  in  their  own 
classes  at  pleasure.  No  other  person  but  the  super- 
intendent of  classification  should  ever  be  permitted 
to  enroll  anyone  as  a  member  in  any  department  of  a 
graded  school. 

There  should  be  a  printed  card  of  application  for 
membership.  This  should  be  filled  out  by  every  per- 
Application  ^^^  desiring  to  join  the  school,  regardless 
cards,  also  of  age  —  unless  he  is  too  young  to  write, 
regis  er  -^  which   case   the   superintendent   could 

easily  determine  in  what  department  to  enter  the 
applicant.  The  card  would  give  all  the  desired  in- 
formation as  to  name,  address,  age,  advancement,  etc., 
so  far  as  they  are  necessary  for  grading  purposes. 

All  teachers  and  officers  should  understand  that  new 
scholars  desiring  to  enter  the  school  should  be  taken 
first  to  the  desk  of  the  superintendent  of  classification. 
This  officer  does  not  assign  pupils  to  a  class  but  to  a 
department.  The  superintendent  of  the  department 
will  know  best  as  to  the  class  in  which  new  scholars 
should  be  placed.     Therefore,  when  a  scholar  has  been 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       31 

assigned  to  a  given  department,  the  responsibility  of 
the  superintendent  of  classification  ceases  so  far  as 
that  member  is  concerned,  and  that  of  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  department  begins. 

In  the  case  of  adults,  an  arrangement  should  be 
made  whereby  the  application  card  might  be  filled 
out  in  the  class  and  handed  to  the  superintendent  of 
classification  for  his  records. 

SUPPLY  TEACHER  SUPERINTENDENT 

If  the  school  is  not  too  large,  the  work  of  this 
officer  may  be  done  by  the  educational  director.  The 
name  defines  the  duties  of  the  office.  Nothing  will 
cause  a  class  to  lose  interest  more  quickly  than  to 
have  its  own  teacher  absent  and  no  one  specially  re- 
sponsible to  supply  the  place.  The  supply  teacher 
.  ,      superintendent  should  organize,  if  possible, 

supply  a  regular  corps  of  supply  teachers  definitely 

teachers  pledged  to  serve  at  different  times,  if 
needed.  There  are  often  those  in  a  church 
who  are  quite  willing  to  serve  in  this  capacity  but 
who  are  unable  to  take  the  full  responsibility  of  a  class. 
It  has  been  found  much  easier,  also,  to  secure  supply 
teachers  if  they  are  not  to  be  called  upon  oftener  than 
once  a  month.  By  far  the  best  plan,  when  it  can  be 
followed,  is  to  have  a  supply  teacher  for  each  particu- 
lar class,  so  that  it  will  always  have  the  same  supply 
teacher  when  the  regular  teacher  is  absent.  In  this 
way,  the  regular  and  the  supply  teachers  can  have  a 
definite  understanding  as  to  the  method  of  their  work. 

The  matter  of  supply  teachers  is  comparatively 
easy   in   a   school   that   uses   the   Uniform   Lessons. 


32  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

Where  the  Graded  Lessons  are  used  it  will  be  all  the 
more  necessary  for  the  supply  teachers  to  be  assigned 
to  particular  departments,  so  that  each  supply  teacher 
may  know  what  class,  or  classes,  she  may  be  called 
upon  to  teach.  This  plan  requires  a  large  number  of 
supply  teachers,  especially  if  there  are  many  absences. 
It  would  be  difficult  for  one  teacher  to  hold  herself  in 
readiness  to  teach  anywhere  in  a  given  department  if 
the  department  were  fully  graded  and  the  grades 
were  using  several  different  lessons.  However,  it  can 
be  done  if  the  Supply  Teacher  Superintendent  will 
give  it  the  necessary  attention. 

THE     LIBRARIAN 

Fewer  Sunday  schools  are  maintaining  libraries 
now  than  formerly,  because  many  public  libraries 
have  large  departments  of  books  specially  selected  for 
Sunday  school  scholars.  The  books  for  such  depart- 
ments are  frequently  selected  by  Sunday  school 
workers  at  the  request  of  the  public  library  authorities, 
the  latter  furnishing  catalogues  of  these  particular 
books  for  distribution  in  the  Sunday  schools.  Many 
Sunday  school  libraries  have  been  discontinued,  also, 
because  of  the  large  number  of  choice  Sunday  school 
papers  now  issued  for  pupils  of  all  ages.  However,  a 
A  good  Sun-  good  library,  properly  maintained,   is  an 

day  school  advantage  to  any  school.  It  is  far  easier 
library  is  a  ^  ,  .,,  ,,         ,  •    ^    • 

great  advan-  to  secure  a  good  library  than  to  mamtam 

*^se  it,  and  here  is  where  the  skill  of  a  librarian 

is  chiefly  required.     No  office  in  the  Sunday  school 

requires  more  expert  knowledge  than  this,  nor  more 

care  in  its  administration.     A  thoroughly  competent 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       33 

librarian,  who  is  enthusiastic  in  his  work,  will  have  a 
popular  library  —  that  is  to  say,  a  library  that  is  well 
patronized. 

The  librarian  is  often  made  chairman  of  a  library 
committee  and  no  books  are  admitted  into  the  library 
without  his  sanction.  He  keeps  his  library  up-to-date 
by  putting  in  a  few  new  books  from  time  to  time  and 
by  keeping  the  school  informed.  It  is  far  better  to 
put  in  one  new  book  a  Sunday  than  fifty  books  at 
one  time  annually.  The  librarian  should  have  his 
library  properly  classified,  so  that  any  member  may 
easily  find  what  he  desires.  As  books  become  soiled 
and  worn,  they  should  be  withdrawn  or  re-bound. 

A  good  librarian  can  do  much  toward  cultivating 
right  habits  of  reading  and  the  desire  for  the  best 
The  cultiva-  books.  He  is  really  an  educational  officer, 
tion  of  good  He  usually  has  charge  also  of  the  ordering 
rea  ing  ^£  ^^^  regular  supplies  —  such  as  quarter- 

lies, papers,  cards  —  and  printing.  Here,  too,  is  an 
opportunity  for  exercising  a  great  influence  for  good. 
He  will  call  the  special  attention  of  the  executive 
officers  to  such  periodicals  as  will  help  them.  The 
teachers  of  adult  classes  will  be  asked  to  use  lesson 
helps  treating  of  the  work  of  their  department  and 
similar  suggestions  will  be  made  for  all  the  depart- 
ments of  the  school. 

There  should  be  in  the  library  a  workers'  section, 
with  classified  lists  of  books  for  superintendents  and 
A  working  and  other  officers,  and  for  teachers  of  the 
library  various    departments,    and    with    general 

books  on  teaching,  pedagogy,  psychology,  handwork 
and   other   features   of    Sunday   school   work.     The 


34  THESUNDAYSCHOOL  i 

Sunday  school  librarian  who  is  both  competent  and  J 

enthusiastic  will  add  greatly  to  the  efficiency  of  any  ' 

Sunday  school. 

HISTORIAN 

Not  a  large  proportion  of  Sunday  schools  use  this  : 
office  at  all.     It  is,  nevertheless,  important  if  properly  ' 
maintained.     It  may  be  combined  with  that  of  the  | 
superintendent  of  classification  or  the  enrollment  sec- 
retary.    If  someone  can  be  placed  in  charge  of  it  who  , 
has  a  zest  for  this  sort  of  work,  much  interest  can  be 
created.     Certain    leading    facts    concerning    every  | 
member  of  the  school  should  be  sought  for  and  properly 
entered,  so  that,  upon  turning  to  his  name,  one  may  ; 
note  at  once  all  the  important  facts   concerning  his  i 
membership.     Up  to  this  point,  the  work  is   similar  | 
to  that  of  the  enrollment  secretary.  ' 

After  the  scholar  leaves  the  school,  however,  there  ; 

should  be  an  effort  made  to  secure  facts  of  interest  i 

Record  of      regarding  him  and  these  should  be  entered  ! 
scholars         ^^^^  made  known  from  time  to  time.     In 

while  in  ,  1111.  •  1  * 

school  and     many  cases  there  would  be  nothmg  special  | 

afterward  ^q  report,  but  a  school  that  keeps  in  touch 
with  its  members  after  they  leave  is  usually  a  school  i 

that  is  full  of  enthusiasm  and  encouragement.  Many 
schools  have  adopted  the  motto:  *'Once  a  member, 
always  a  member."  There  is  no  question  but  that 
the  living  touch  maintained  with  former   members  ; 

through  the  work  of  a  careful  and  efficient  historian 
increases  the  interest  of  those  attending.     One  school,  j 

which  started  as  a  mission  over  fifty  years  ago,  is  ; 

always  pleased  to  recall  that  its  first  lady  teacher  is 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       35 

now  a  missionary  in  Turkey,  although  well  advanced 
in  years.  Items  concerning  her  are  eagerly  sought  by 
the  historian. 

At  a  Sunday  school  anniversary  or  similar  occasion 
interesting  facts  concerning  former  members  could  be 
given  as  a  sort  of  report  from  the  historian.  This  will 
create  much  interest  if  properly  presented. 

BIRTHDAY     SECRETARY 

Many  schools  solicit  birthday  offerings  from  the 
members  and  use  the  money  for  missionary  purposes. 
Birthday  It  is  a  good  custom  and  helps  to  maintain 
offerings  interest.  The  birthday  secretary  will  have 
a  slip  upon  which  names  and  birthdays  should  be 
recorded.  The  age  is  not  necessary.  The  names  are 
entered  in  a  large  diary,  having  a  page  to  a  day.  By 
disregarding  the  days  of  the  week  this  secretary  can 
use  any  diary  until  it  is  filled.  It  is  well  to  have  a 
birthday  letter,  either  written  or  printed  to  be  signed 
by  the  pastor  or  the  superintendent  or  both,  sent  out 
to  the  one  whose  birthday  is  celebrated  by  the  birth- 
day secretary,  a  week  in  advance.  This  letter  should 
be  congratulatory  and  should  also  remind  the  member 
that  the  coming  Sunday  is  the  nearest  Sunday  to  his 
birthday  and  that  an  offering  would  be  acceptable, 
for  the  birthday  fund.  In  some  schools  the  offering, 
solicited  is  one  cent  for  each  year  of  the  giver's  age 
ten  cents  for  a  ten-year-old,  twenty  cents  for  a  twenty- 
year-old  pupil,  and  so  on.  Thousands  of  dollars  have 
been  obtained  through  the  birthday  fund  and  used  for 
benevolences  by  the  Sunday  school  with  which  the 


36  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

writer  was  so  long  connected.  It  was  always  a  source 
of  interest.  The  reading  of  the  names  of  those  who 
have  had  birthdays  during  the  week,  as  part  of  the 
regular  Sunday  school  report,  is  a  pleasing  feature  of 
each  session  of  the  school. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       37 


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38  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 


IV 

GENERAL  DEPARTMENTS 

MISSIONARY     DEPARTMENT 

X  HERE  should  be  a  missionary  superintendent  in 
every  Sunday  school.  If  the  school  is  large  enough 
to  justify  it,  there  should  be  a  missionary  committee 
of  from  three  to  five  persons,  and  the  chairman  should 
be  the  superintendent  of  the  Missionary  Department. 
To  this  committee,  or  to  the  superintendent,  should 
be  assigned  the  task  of  giving  to  the  school  a  mission- 
Missionary  ^^y  program  and  training  it  in  systematic, 
program  and  intelligent   missionary   giving.     This   is   a 

raining  most  important  oflace  and  affords  a  fine 

opportunity  for  cultivating  a  missionary  spirit.  The 
missionary  superintendent  should  be  a  missionary 
enthusiast,  familiar  not  only  with  what  his  denomi- 
nation is  doing  but  with  the  great  missionary  enter- 
prises of  the  world. 

There  are  many  things  that  such  an  officer  can  do. 
He  can  bring  to  the  attention  of  teachers  interesting 
facts  gathered  from  recent  missionary  publications; 
see  that  there  are  some  good  missionary  books  in  the 
library  for  all  departments  of  the  school  and  call  special 
attention  to  them;  make  a  collection  of  missionary 
curios  and  show  them  to  the  school  or  the  separate 
departments  or  to  the  individual  classes   at  proper 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       39 

times,  and  have  a  set  of  missionary  charts  and  maps 
for  use  as  needed. 

One  of  the  best  ways  of  maintaining  interest  is 
through  brief  talks  given  frequently  by  the  missionary 
superintendent  in  the  opening  service.  Admirable 
outlines  for  such  talks  are  provided  in  Trull's  little 
book,  "Five  Missionary  Minutes."  The  missionary 
superintendent  should  also  arrange  for  an  occasional 
missionary  concert.  There  are  many  choice  concert 
exercises  now  available  for  this  purpose. 

TEMPERANCE 

Every  Sunday  school  should  be  a  temperance  so- 
ciety and  all  the  scholars  should  be  properly  taught 
temperance  principles.  The  temperance  superin- 
tendent has  a  field  of  great  opportunity.  The  war 
The  war  against  the  saloon  is  on  in  this  country 
against  the  and  it  is  on  to  a  finish.  The  Sunday 
^   ^^°  schools   can  help   to   win   the   day.     The 

temperance  superintendent  should  seek  to  keep  the 
school  informed  by  bringing  to  them  news  of  the  latest 
developments  on  the  subject.  Scientific  temperance 
instruction  is  undertaken  in  many  schools,  with  good 
effect.  Pledge-signing  should  be  encouraged  and 
proper  records  kept  of  all  who  sign.  The  temperance 
superintendent  should  have  frequent  opportunity  of 
speaking  briefly  to  the  school,  especially  on  Tem- 
perance Sundays,  when  temperance  songs  may  be 
sung  and  perhaps  an  address  given  by  someone  from 
outside  the  school.  All  of  this  will  be  arranged  by 
the  temperance  superintendent. 


40  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

The  duties  of  this  officer  include  the  giving  of  in- 
struction in  regard  to  the  use  of  tobacco  as  well  as 
The  use  of  to  drink,  and  there  is,  perhaps,  greater 
tobacco  danger  at  this  point  with  our  boys  and  girls 

at  this  time  than  in  the  matter  of  intoxicating  liquor. 
The  superintendent  will  secure  literature  on  the  use 
of  tobacco,  and  especially  concerning  cigarette  smok- 
ing, and  will  see  that  it  is  properly  distributed  among 
the  scholars.  The  prevalence  of  the  cigarette  habit, 
even  among  girls,  ought  to  rouse  our  schools  to  action, 
and  to  the  temperance  superintendent  is  specially 
committed  this  important  and  difficult  task. 

TEACHER    TRAINING 

The  superintendent  of  this  department  may  be  an 
assistant  to  the  educational  director,  or  the  educational 
director  may  do  the  work  of  this  office.  It  is  a  very 
important  position  and  should  be  filled  by  an  educa- 
tor, if  possible.  The  purpose  of  this  office  is  to 
secure  the  training  of  all  the  teachers  of  the  school. 
An  ordinary  teacher-training  course  will  not,  of  itself, 
make  good  teachers  of  all  who  take  it,  but  it  will  cer- 
tainly make  better  teachers  of  them  than  they  would 
be  without  it. 

The  teacher-training  superintendent  may  not  be 
able,  in  all  cases,  to  lead  the  teacher-training  class, 
*  j-^    ,x      but  he  should  see  that  it  is  organized  and 

A  difficult  ,  ,  rw^,    .        .  PI 

department    properly  taught.      Ihis  is  one  oi  the  most 

to  operate      difficult  departments   to  operate  success- 

successfuUy    «  „       ,  .^  .  ,  , 

lully,  because   it   requires   so    much   real 

work.     Teaching  is  not  easy  and  preparing  to  teach 

is  a  task  that  requires  diligent  study  and  application. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       41 

The  weakest  point  in  most  Sunday  schools  is  the 
teaching.  We  must  have  trained  teachers,  and  any 
ordinary  school  may  have  them  if  it  will  address  it- 
self to  the  task  with  sufficient  faith  and  determination. 
There  should  be  a  teacher-training  class  organized 
for  those  already  teaching,  whenever  it  is  possible. 
Classes  for  The  most  hopeful  field  of  operation,  how- 
teachers,  ever,  is  among  young  people  specially 
preparing  to  qualified  to  become  teachers,  and  organized 
teach  jj^^Q  ^  teacher-training  class  meeting  at  the 

Sunday  school  hour.  This  is  usually  the  best  class 
for  the  teacher-training  superintendent  to  teach,  him- 
self. The  teacher-training  class  may  not  be  main- 
tained throughout  the  year  but  should  have  a  thorough 
course  covering  perhaps  six  or  eight  months  each  year. 
The  superintendent  should  also  endeavor  to  culti- 
vate the  reading  habit  among  the  teachers  by  placing 
in  their  hands  the  best  books  on  different  features  of 
the  teacher's  work.  The  slogan  of  every  Sunday 
school  should  be  "Every  teacher  trained,"  and  the 
teacher-training  superintendent  should  undertake 
seriously  to  realize  this  ideal. 

MUSIC 

Too  often  the  music  of  our  Sunday  schools  receives 

slipshod  attention.     In  small  schools  the  chorister  and 

.         .  the    pianist,     in     consultation    with     the 

A  music  , 

committee      superintendent,  can  generally  do  all  that 

^^h^^^^        needs  to  be  done,   but  in  larger  schools 

the  problem  is  somewhat  more  difficult. 

It  is  well   to  have    a  music    committee    in    general 

charge  of  the  music  of  the  whole  school.     Such  a 


42  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

committee  should  be  properly  organized.  The  choris- 
ter, while  not  necessarily  at  its  head  will  usually  be 
the  central  figure  in  it. 

Special  attention  should  be  given  to  the  selection 
of  music  for  the  school,  and  particularly  for  the  various 
departments  which  sing  by  themselves.  The  chorister 
should  be  a  man  who  looks  upon  sacred  music  as  a 
feature  of  the  Sunday  school  worship  and  not  as  an 
exercise  or  entertainment.  The  chorister  and  the 
superintendent  should  be  in  the  heartiest  accord,  so 
that  the  music  may  fit  into  the  program  for  the  day. 
If  there  is  an  orchestra,  it  should  play  appropriate 
music  and  be  wholly  under  proper  control. 

Much  can  be  done  to  improve  the  music  of  a  Sun- 
day school  by  having  trained  choirs.  Some  schools 
Trained  have  choirs  of  children  —  choirs  of  boys 
choir  and  of  girls  —  and  mixed  choirs  of  young 

^  ^^  ®  people.  It  is  not  possible  for  all  schools  to 
have  a  number  of  choirs  but  almost  any  school  can 
have  one.  These  choirs  need  not  necessarily  sing 
anthems.  They  may  sing  some  of  the  hymns  from 
the  song-book  in  use,  and  if  they  sing  well  the  music 
will  always  be  enjoyed.  They  can  add  variety  to 
the  music  by  singing  the  stanzas  of  a  hymn  while  the 
whole  school  joins  in  singing  the  chorus.  An  occa- 
sional solo  will  be  interesting  and  helpful.  Music  is 
the  soul  of  the  devotional  service  of  a  school,  as  prayer 
and  Scripture  are  the  heart  of  it. 

Pay  much  attention  to  the  music.  See  that  it  is 
worshipful  and  inspiring  and  that  the  words  speak 
forth  the  gospel  message. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       43 


FINANCE 

Altogether  too  few  schools  give  systematic  and 
suitable  direction  to  their  financial  affairs.  The 
Importance  Sunday  School  Finance  Committee  should 
of  annual  include  at  least  one  representative  of  the 
covSng  all  church.  As  soon  as  this  Committee  knows 
school  approximately  its   available   resources,   it 

^^  should  prepare  an  annual  budget,  setting 

apart  a  certain  amount  of  money  for  each  item  of 
outlay,  including  a  carefully  reckoned  system  of  be- 
nevolences. Then  it  should  plan  its  work  by  the 
budget  and  keep  within  the  income.  It  should  re- 
quire that  all  purchases  be  made  through  a  given, 
recognized  channel  and  that  all  bills  be  properly 
passed  upon  and  paid.  The  business  of  the  Sunday 
school  should  be  transacted  in  a  thoroughly  business- 
like way  that  will  command  the  respect  of  business 
people.  The  finance  committee  also  has  one  of  the 
school's  finest  opportunities  to  train  the  children  and 
young  people  in  the  Christian  grace  of  systematic 
giving. 

ATHLETIC 

Boys  and  girls  must  play,  and  it  would  do  older 
people  no  harm  if  they,  themselves,  played  more  than 
they  do.  The  question  the  Sunday  school  faces  is 
whether  or  not  the  play  shall  be  clean  and  suitable. 
Much  of  the  athletics  carried  on  outside  of  Sunday 
school  jurisdiction  is  clean  and  wholesome  but  much 
of  it  is  not.  A  properly  organized  athletic  depart- 
ment in  any  good-sized  school  will  conduct  its  w^ork 


44  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

in  such  a  way  as  to  give  real  pleasure  and  profit,  not 
only  to  those  who  participate  but  also  to  the  whole 
school. 

Thousands  of  schools  have  teams  for  baseball, 
basket-ball,  tennis,  bowling,  etc.,  and  clubs  for  rowing, 
Importance  fishing,  swimming,  hunting,  and  many 
of  play  other    sports    for    gymnasium    and    field. 

Many  a  teacher  who  has  utterly  failed  in  the  class  has 
won  a  boy  by  playing  games  with  him.  Our  Sunday 
schools  are,  more  and  more,  coming  to  recognize  that 
boys  and  girls  have  a  four-fold  nature  to  be  developed 
—  physical,  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual  —  and  that 
our  responsibility  cannot  be  wholly  met  if  we  neglect 
any  part  of  it.  Let  the  boys  and  girls  know  that  the 
Sunday  school  wants  them  to  be  strong  in  their 
bodies  and  happy  in  their  lives,  so  they  may  be  of 
greater  service  to  the  Lord. 

Do  not  try  to  organize  too  many  teams  or  clubs  for 
athletics  at  one  time,  but  start  with  those  called  for 
and  add  others  as  the  demand  arises. 

ALUMNI 

This  department  is  new  to  most  Sunday  schools, 
especially  under  this  name,  but  many  schools  have 
tried  to  hold  their  former  members  by  some  sort  of 
organization  and  in  some  places  a  department  of  this 
kind  has  proved  successful.  An  alumnus  is  usually 
one  who  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  and  has 
moved  away.  In  some  cases  there  may  be  other 
conditions  besides  that  of  mere  absence,  such  as 
having  won  certain  recognition  or  having  completed 
a  prescribed  course  of  study. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       45 

The  ingenuity  of  the  officers  of  the  school  will  devise 
methods  whereby  this  department  can  be  made  useful 
Home  com-  ^^  maintaining  interest.  Occasional  home- 
ing  re-unions  coming  reunions  may  be  held  profitably, 
"^®  "  where  pleasing  reminiscences   may  be  re- 

cited. Anything  that  creates  or  maintains  a  feeling 
of  interest  among  people  banded  together  in  any  good 
cause  is  a  benefit.  The  idea,  of  course,  of  this  Sun- 
day school  department  is  taken  from  the  custom  in 
practically  all  colleges,  where  the  alumni  exercise  a 
large  influence  for  good. 


46  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 


V 

STANDING    AND    SPECIAL    COMMITTEES 

OOME  of  the  standing  committees  have  been 
referred  to  in  connection  with  the  general  depart- 
ments treated  in  the  last  chapter.  We  shall  not  refer 
to  them  again  here  but  desire  to  call  attention,  rather, 
to  various  other  committees  which  have  proved 
helpful. 

USHERS 

It  always  gives  one  a  "homey"  feeling  to  be  wel- 
comed at  the  door  of  a  church  by  someone  who  ex- 
tends a  hearty  greeting  and  shows  genuine  courtesy. 
This  is  true  even  if  one  is  a  regular  attendant,  although 
it  is  especially  true  of  visitors  and  occasional  comers. 
It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  find  good 
of  the  ushers  or  to  be  a  good  usher.     Often  the 

usher's  reputation  of  an  entire  establishment,  be 

office  •11  11  1 

it  church  or  school  or  any  other  organi- 
zation, is  temporarily  in  the  hands  of  the  usher. 
First  impressions  are  often  lasting.  It  is  a  good  cus- 
tom, and  helps  to  cultivate  the  spirit  of  reverence,  to 
usher  scholars  to  their  seats,  especially  if  they  are  late 
and  sometimes  even  if  they  come  in  before  the  session 
is  opened. 

This  committee  should  be  well  organized  and  made 
up  of  people  who  are  warm-hearted  and  cheery-faced. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       47 

They  should  know  the  art  of  handshaking  and  of 
smiling  but  should  not  be  given  to  overmuch  talking. 

DOORMEN 

This  important  committee  should  be  made  up  of 
as  many  men  as  there  are  doors  that  are  used  during 
the  service,  whether  these  doors  lead  into  the  build- 
ing or  from  one  part  of  it  to  another.  The  doormen 
should  be  in  complete  control  of  the  doors.  They 
should  know  exactly  at  what  moment  the  doors 
leading  from  without  into  the  main  room  should  be 
When  school  closed  and  when  people  should  be  admitted 

doors  should  qj,  j^^j^j  back  after  the  service  has  begun. 

be  opened  .  .  . 

and  when      There  is  scarcely  anything  that  contributes 

closed  more  directly  to  the  maintenance  of  good 

order  and  discipline  in  the  school  than  the  services  of 

good  doormen. 

They  should  be  familiar  with  the"  signals  from  the 

platform,   although   they   should   know   their   duties 

well  enough  not  to  require  them.     It  often  happens 

that    one    department    of    the    school    closes    before 

another,  and  if  its  members  are  permitted  to  pass 

through   into   other   rooms   where   the   exercises   are 

not  concluded,  there  is  confusion  and  always  a  loss 

in   the   effect   of   the   closing    service.     Officers   and 

other  grown  people  should  observe  the  rules  of  the 

doors,  or  the  children  will  not  be  inclined  to  do  so. 

COURTESY 

This  Committee  is  necessary  only  in  large  schools 
where   there   are   many   visitors.     It   often   happens 


48  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

that  people  come  to  study  such  schools,  with  a  view 
to  improving  the  work  in  their  own  schools.  The 
object  of  the  Courtesy  Committee  is  to  conduct 
visitors  about  the  rooms  and  to  explain 
tee  in  large    the  working  of  the  school,  showing  them 

schools  to      whatever  they  desire  to   see.     They  will 
show  the  ,        ,  .  ,  .  -  *^ 

work  of  the  take  them  into  the  various  departments 
school  to  Qj^iy  Q^^  proper  times  and  in  a  proper 
manner  and  will  see  that  the  disturbance 
incident  to  going  about  the  building  is  reduced  to  a 
minimum,  although  they  cannot  avoid  it  altogether. 
Courtesy  of  this  kind  extended  to  a  casual  visitor 
will  often  make  a  permanent  member  of  him.  Many 
schools  have  found  a  Courtesy  Committee  very 
effective. 

SOCIAL 

This  committee  should  be  made  up  mostly  of 
young  people  and  should  represent  all  the  depart- 
ments of  the  school.  The  members  representing  the 
very  youngest  departments  may  be  teachers  or 
oflficers  of  those  departments,  but  above  the  inter- 
mediate grades  some  scholars  may  be  used.  The 
general  direction  of  the  committee  should  be  in  charge 
of  those  who  are  mature  and  fully  familiar  with  the 
social  requirements  of  the  school.  In  large  cities 
where  the  tension  of  social  life  is  high,  there  would 
seem  to  be  not  much  for  this  committee  to  do,  but 
more  and  more  the  church  is  coming  to  realize  its 
responsibility  to  provide  a  strong,  clean  social  at- 
mosphere for  its  young  people. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       49 

The  church  should  be  a  social  center,  under  proper 
restrictions.  It  should  be  the  place,  next  to  the  home, 
.  where  the  young  people  may  find  their 
committee  highest  joys  and  most  delightful  fellow- 
and  Church  ships.  The  Social  Committee  can  arrange 
at  proper  times  for  social  functions  for 
the  various  departments  or  for  the  school  as  a  whole. 

Picnics  and  outings  would  also  come  under  the 
direction  of  this  committee.  One  of  the  chief  bene- 
Capable  fits  of  a  Social  Committee  is  that  it  would 
management  control  all  of  the  social  affairs  of  the  school, 
thus  preventing  many  of  the  unfortunate  results 
coming  from  the  practice  of  having  inappropriate 
social  gatherings  arranged  by  irresponsible  persons, 
often  at  unsuitable  times. 

This   committee  should  not   simply   undertake  to 

arrange   for   such   gatherings   as   are   called   for   but 

_  -      should  also  take  the  initiative  and  definitely 

organize,    dignify,    and    systematize    the 

social  life  of  the  school. 

HOUSE 

One  person  from  each  department  of  the  school, 

together  with  the  janitor  and  the  chairman  of  the 

Board   of   Trustees   of   the   church   would,   perhaps, 

make  a  good  House  Committee. 

The  purpose  of  this  committee  is  to  see 
Securmg 
convenience  that   the   quarters  of  the   Sunday  school 

and  com-       g^j-g  properly  arranged  for  whatever  is  to 

take   place   there.     The   janitor   will  not 

always  be  sure  exactly  what  is    needed.      He   may 

not   know   whether   to    open    and  warm    the  whole 


50  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

house  or  only  certain  rooms.  The  House  Committee 
will  see  that  definite  instructions  are  given  to  him, 
and  that  the  house  is  always  in  readiness  when 
required.  Many  schools  are  in  the  habit  of  looking 
upon  their  janitor  as  one  of  the  officers  of  the  school, 
and  this  is  a  good  idea. 

AIDES 

The  aides  are  young  men  from  fourteen  to  eighteen 
years  of  age  who  are  eyes,  ears,  hands,  and  feet  for 
the  superintendent. 

They  see  that  the  platform  is  in  readiness,  that 
_,  .  ,  ,  the    flags,    books,    bells,    banners,    black- 

^^'"^"^^'"' boards,  and  other  r.eeded  articles  are  in 
their  proper  places.  If  the  Sunday  school  occupies 
the  church  auditorium  and  the  platform  furniture 
has  to  be  rearranged  before  the  Sunday  school  session, 
the  aides  should  be  given  charge  of  the  matter  so 
that  no  officer  of  the  school  will  be  required  to  take 
any  time  from  the  important  work  of  welcoming  and 
greeting  members  and  visitors.  The  work  of  an  aide 
gives  one  good  training  for  the  office  of  superintendent 
later. 

MESSENGERS 

These  are  boys  of  junior  age  under  the  direction  of 
a  man  or  an  older  boy.  Their  work  is  usually  done 
on  Sunday  afternoons  and  consists  in  carrying  mes- 
sages to  members  of  the  school  who  have  been  absent 
from  the  session  of  the  day.  Oftentimes  these  mes- 
sages are  in  the  form  of  telegrams.  The  messengers 
also  deliver  other  messages  for  both  pastor  and  super- 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       51 

intendent  and  distribute  church  calendars  and  church 
papers.  This  training  is  good  for  the  boys  and,  as  a 
rule,  they  like  it. 

The  director  in  charge  of  the  messengers  will  find 
it  profitable  to  call  them  together  frequently  for  a 
Fun  and  pleasant  evening,  for  which  he  may  pro- 
fellowship  yi(jg  music  or  some  other  kind  of  enter- 
tainment. Some  of  the  happiest  experiences  I  have 
ever  had  in  connection  with  my  own  Sunday  school 
work  have  been  with  the  messenger  boys. 


52  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

VI 

THE  DIVISIONS 

JjY  general  consent  the  Sunday  school  is  now 
separated  into  three  parts,  known  as  divisions,  as 
follows : 

I.  Elementary  Division.     Ages  —  birth  to  thirteen. 

II.  Secondary       Division.       Ages  —  thirteen       to 
twenty.^ 

III.  Adult  Division.     Ages  —  twenty  and  up.^ 
This  division  of  the  school  is  altogether  arbitrary 

and  is  based  chiefly  upon  age.  Every  member  of  the 
The  basis  school,  no  matter  what  his  age  or  line  of 
of  the  work,  naturally  falls  into  one  or  another 

division  ^£  ^Yiese  divisions.  In  determining  the 
age  limitations,  effort  has  been  made  to  take  into 
account  the  physical  and  mental  development  of 
pupils  under  twenty  years  of  age  and,  also,  so  far  as 
possible,  the  classifications  recognized  in  the  public 
schools.  No  such  arbitrary  arrangement,  however, 
is  equally  applicable  everywhere,  for  pupils,  particu- 
larly in  the  early  adolescent  period,  develop  physically 
and  mentally  more  rapidly  in  some  climates  than  in 
others.  Nor  are  all  educators  agreed  that  the  age 
limits  herein  presented  are  the  best  for  general  pur- 
poses. However,  we  shall  follow  the  classification  given 
above,  which  has  been  adopted  by  the  International 
Sunday  School  Association  and  is  in  general  use. 

^  Pupils  twenty-one  years  of  age  are  placed  by  some  in  the 
Secondary  Division. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       53 

For  the  most  part,  the  General  Departments  re- 
ferred to  in  Chapters  IV  and  V  operate  in  all  the 
The  general  Divisions,  although  some  of  them  —  the 
deparments  Teacher-training,  for  example  —  deal  with 
the  teachers  and  officers  rather  than  with  the  pupils. 
The  Home  Department  and  the  Parents'  Department 
have  not  usually  been  considered  as  belonging  to  the 
Adult  Division.  We  prefer,  however,  to  place  them 
there,  so  that  the  three  Divisions  may  actually 
include  all  members  of  the  school.  It  is  true,  of 
course,  that  there  are  members  of  the  Home  Depart- 
ment who  are  not  old  enough  to  be  classified  as  adults 
but  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  members  are  grown, 
that  it  is  no  violence  to  our  general  purpose  to  place 
this  Department  here.  A  school  thus  separated  into 
three  divisions  resembles  somewhat  an  army  com- 
posed of  three  divisions,  each  having  an  organization 
of  its  own,  but  each  under  the  direction  of  a  general 
officer  and  his  associates. 

The  work  of  these  divisions  should  be  coordinated 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  a  working  unit  of  the 
A  working  entire  school.  Failure  in  this  respect 
unit  would  give  rise  to  a  situation  like  that 

confronting  an  army  whose  battalions  decide  to  attack 
the  enemy  at  different  times  and  places  —  nothing 
but  confusion  and  defeat  would  follow.  Yet  here  is 
where  many  a  Sunday  school  is  failing.  A  school 
which  is  merely  a  collection  of  classes  and  divisions 
and  without  an  all-inclusive  organization  and  a  pro- 
nounced unity  of  action,  loses  to  a  large  degree  its 
impact  for  good  as  a  whole. 

The  divisions  of  a  school  must  keep  step,  all  facing 


54  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

in  the  same  direction  and  all  intent  upon  accomplish- 
ing the  same  general  results.  The  success  of  one  divi- 
sion should  inspire  the  others  to  greater  effort  and 
cause  the  general  administration  to  concentrate  upon 
those  that  are  not  making  the  headway  they  should. 
The  Cabinet  '^^^^  ^^  entirely  possible,  because  the 
the  unifying  leading  officers  in  all  the  divisions  are 
factor  members  of  the  Superintendent's  Cabinet, 

in  which  all  general  matters  concerning  the  welfare 
of  the  school  are  discussed.  In  some  schools  we  find 
division  superintendents  who  have  general  oversight 
of  the  work  of  the  divisions,  but  this  plan  is  not  in 
general  use,  and  has  little  to  commend  it.  A  better 
method  is  that  of  assigning  the  divisions,  for  a  time 
at  least,  to  the  various  assistant  superintendents, 
not  with  a  view  to  authoritative  supervision,  but  with 
the  object  of  familiarizing  them  with  all  that  is  being 
done  so  that  they  may  be  in  a  position  to  make  sug- 
gestions to  the  Cabinet  as  to  possible  improvement. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       55 


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ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       57 


VII 
THE   ELEMENTARY  DIVISION 

1/  OR  convenience,  we  shall  study  the  outline  of  this 
division  from  Charts  1  and  2  together,  following  for 
the  most  part  Chart  2,  it  being  understood,  of  course, 
that  the  duties  assigned  to  several  persons  in  larger 
schools  may  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  one  person  in 
smaller  schools. 

It  will  be  observed  that  in  small  schools  we  have  not 
recommended  the  organization  of  an  Elementary 
Council.  The  reason  is  that  it  often  happens  in 
A  potential  schools  of  less  than  one  hundred  that  the 
elementary  Primary  superintendent  has  charge  also 
of  the  Beginners  and  the  Cradle  Roll  and, 
in  many  cases,  is  obliged  to  teach,  besides.  However, 
it  is  quite  possible  for  the  departmental  officers  and 
teachers  in  an  Elementary  Division  of  a  small  school 
to  meet  frequently  to  discuss  general  conditions,  and 
thus  they  would  constitute,  in  effect,  an  Elementary 
Council,  even  if  but  two  or  three  might  be  considered 
members.  The  larger  the  amount  of  thought  and 
study  that  is  put  upon  the  work  of  this  division  — 
or  of  any  other  —  by  those  in  general  charge,  the 
greater  will  be  the  results  for  good. 

We  recommend,  therefore,  that  the  Elementary 
Council  have  frequent  meetings,  even  though  they  be 
brief.     The  Council  may  meet  at  the  opening   or  at 


58  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

the  close  of  the  Sunday  school  session  to  talk  over 
matters  of  pressing  importance,  and  an  occasional 
The  coun-  meeting  occupying  an  evening  may  be 
cil's  held  either  at  the  church  or  in  the  home 

mee  ngs  ^^  ^^^  ^^  ^j^^  members.  Best  results, 
however,  will  be  produced  by  regular  meetings,  with 
ample  time  for  discussion  and  business.  The  super- 
intendent of  the  school  should  be  kept  informed  as  to 
all  that  is  going  on  and  should  often  be  invited  to 
the  Council  meetings. 

THE     DEPARTMENTS 

In  a  thoroughly  graded  Sunday  school  there  are 
four  departments  in  the  Elementary  Division,  namely : 

Cradle  Roll Ages,  Birth  to  3. 

Beginners*      Ages,  3,  k  and  5. 

Primary Ages  6,  7  and  8. 

Junior Ages,  9,  10,  11  and  12. 

The  superintendents  of  these  various  departments 
should  heartily  cooperate  with  each  other  for  the 
Inter-de-  purpose  of  securing  the  largest  results  in 
partmental  such  matters,  for  example,  as  the  prepara- 
coopera  ion  ^.^^  ^£  pupils  for  advancement,  the  giving 
of  helpful  information  as  to  peculiarities  of  pupils, 
conditions,  etc.  They  should  not  permit  pupils  to  be 
retained  in  their  departments  beyond  the  proper  time 
for  promotion.  This  would  be  an  injustice  to  the 
school  and  to  both  the  departments  interested,  and 
—  more  especially  —  to  the  pupil.  Elementary  Divi- 
sion superintendents  should  also  endeavor  to  cultivate 
a  division  spirit.     This  would  find  expression  in  occa- 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       59 

sional  social  gatherings  of  all  the  officers,  teachers, 
and  helpers  in  a  given  division.  The  more  interest 
each  individual  department  takes  in  the  work  of  other 
departments,  the  greater  will  be  its  own  success. 

A  marvelously  rich  literature  has  been  developed 
dealing  with  this  branch  of  Sunday  school  work  and 
all  elementary  teachers  and  officers  are  recommended 
to  secure,  so  far  as  possible,  the  charts,  certificates, 
leaflets,  etc.,  prepared  by  their  own  denominations 
and  the  various  state  and  provincial  associations. 

THE  CRADLE  ROLL  DEPARTMENT 

This  Department,  in  many  respects,  is  the  most 
attractive  department  of  the  entire  school.  It  is 
sure  to  be  so  in  the  eyes  of  the  superintendent  of  the 
Department,  if  the  right  persons  is  in  that  position. 
The  Cradle  Roll  superintendent  must  have  a  mother- 
heart;  one  whose  idea  is  simply  to  secure  a  long  list 
of  names  will  accomplish  but  little. 

The  possibilities  of  this  Department  we  have  only 
A  beautiful  just  begun  to  appreciate.  Every  child  in 
ministry  j-j^^  Cradle  Roll  is  a  golden  gate  of  oppor- 
tunity into  a  rich  harvest  field,  if  only  those  in  charge 
of  the  Department  are  wise  and  loving  enough  to 
realize  it.  If  the  baby  is  in  a  Christian  home,  the 
parents  and  other  members  of  the  family  will  deeply 
appreciate  all  attentions  that  are  paid  to  the  little 
one  in  the  name  of  Him  who  loved  children.  If  the 
home  is  not  Christian,  the  opportunity  for  a  sweet 
ministry  will  be  greater  still.  Thousands  of  fathers 
and  mothers  have  been  led  to  God  and  into  the 
church  because   some  faithful   Cradle  Roll  superin- 


60  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

tendent  showed  the  spirit  of  the  Master  while  visiting 
their  baby.  It  is  as  true  today  as  in  the  past  that 
*'a  little  child  shall  lead  them." 

The  great  difficulty  in  securing  the  presence  in  the 
Sunday  school  of  children  when  they  are  old  enough 
Future  to  attend  is  largely  obviated  if,  as  babies, 

pupils  ii^Qy  have  been  members  of  the  Cradle  Roll 

and  breathed  the  atmosphere  of  the  school.  In  a 
small  Department  the  superintendent  can  do  all  that 
needs  to  be  done;  but  there  are  many  large  depart- 
ments enrolling  hundreds  of  children  in  which  there 
is  plenty  of  work  for  a  secretary  and  a  number  of 
visitors  as  well. 

Of  course  this  department  does  not  attend  the 
school  except  on  special  occasions,  such  as  its  mem- 
bers' birthdays,  Children's  Day,  etc.  Nevertheless 
Making  there  may  be  found  in  many  churches  little 
them  at  rooms  set  apart  for  the  Cradle  Roll  mem- 

°^®  bers,  where  the  Cradle  Roll  superintend- 

ent can  meet  from  Sunday  to  Sunday  the  older  ones 
who  are  almost  ready  to  enter  the  Beginners'  Depart- 
ment. By  this  plan,  the  Cradle  Roll  children  become 
acquainted  with  Sunday  school  surroundings  and  feel 
more  at  home  when  the  time  comes  for  promotion. 
However,  their  attendance  when  they  are  under 
three  years  of  age  is  not  encouraged. 

There  are  many  beautiful  things  that  may  be  done 
for  the  children  and  their  parents,  and  many  choice 
As  to  ways   of   maintaining   interest,  but   it    is 

suggestions  j^q^-  q^j.  purpose  to  describe  them  here. 
They  are  mentioned  in  the  literature  referred  to 
above. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       61 


THE     BEGINNERS        DEPARTMENT 

This  is  composed  of  the  youngest  members  in  any 
of  the  attending  departments  and  should  have  a  room 
or  a  division  to  itself.  The  methods  of  work  will  be 
Members,  similar  to  those  operative  in  the  kinder- 
methods  garten  and  the  room  should  be  arranged 
and  workers  ^.^j^  ^^^^  .^  ^^^^^     rj.^^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^  ^^^jj 

chairs  and  with  space  in  which  to  arrange  them  in  a 
circle.  If  possible,  there  should  be  low  tables  and 
other  equipment  but  that  does  not  fall  within  the 
scope  of  our  consideration  here.  As  children  in  the 
Beginners'  Department  require  attention  in  removing 
their  wraps,  marching,  etc.,  it  is  necessary  to  have 
assistants,  even  though  the  Department  is  not  large. 
Its  success  depends,  for  the  most  part,  upon  the 
superintendent,  who  should  be  a  lover  of  children, 
and,  if  possible,  a  woman  of  kindergarten  training. 
This  Department  requires  much  originality  and 
genius  in  its  administration.  The  real  power  is  a 
loving  interest,  for  to  it  little  children  readily  respond. 
One  person  may  serve  as  both  secretary  and  treas- 
urer. The  Department  should  be  provided  with  a 
piano,  and  the  singing  should  be  in  charge  of  a  leader 
who  understands  glad  worship  for  little  children. 
_,  Wise    doorkeepers,    by    preventing   inter- 

intendent       ruptions,  can  preserve  the  desired  spirit  of 
and  her  quiet  reverence.     Except  in  large  Depart- 

ments the  Beginners'  superintendent 
usually  conducts  the  informal  circle  talk  and  the 
story  period,  and  for  that  reason  the  Chart  mentions 
"Helpers"  rather  than  "Teachers."     In  this  Depart- 


62  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

ment  they  should  always  be  alert  and  ready  to  do 
whatever  needs  to  be  done,  particularly  in  waiting 
upon  the  children  and  in  assisting  the  superintendent 
as  she  may  direct. 

THE     PRIMARY     DEPARTMENT 

Every  Sunday  school  has  a  Primary  Department. 
The  pupils  of  this  Department  are  also  pupils  in  the 
day  school.  Therefore  more  day  school  methods  may 
be  adopted  here  than  in  the  Beginners'  Department. 
No  other  oflficer  in  the  entire  school  has  a  larger  oppor- 
tunity for  laying  foundations  than  the  Primary 
Superintendent.  She  should  be  attractive  in  manner, 
lovingly  strict  in  discipline,  impartial  in  administra- 
tion and  tender  and  patient  as  a  mother,  and  should 
have  an  undaunted  faith  that  children  of  the  primary 
age  can  be  led  to  accept  Christ  as  their  Saviour  and 
taught  how  to  serve  Him. 

Of  course  the  Primary  Department  should  have  a 
separate  room  or  group  of  rooms.  The  size  of  the 
Department  will  determine,  in  general,  at  least,  the 
number  of  officers  needed,  although  in  a  Department 
of  fifty  or  more  all  of  the  officers  named  in  Chart  2 
Organiza-  can  be  profitably  employed.  Provision 
fi®^  should   be    made    for    three  grades,   with 

as  many  classes  in  each  as  are  necessary.  In  this 
Department,  especially  if  it  be  of  good  size,  the  super- 
intendent should  do  little  teaching,  except  as  a 
Filling  substitute.     A  full  corps  of  efficient  grade 

vacancies  teachers  is  needed.  The  superintendent 
should  be  always  on  the  lookout  for  good  teachers 
and  when  vacancies  occur  should  present  names,  for 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       63 

approval,  to  the  pastor  and  the  general  superin- 
tendent, so  that  the  vacancies  may  be  filled  in  the 
regular  way.  The  names  of  the  officers  mentioned 
in  the  Chart  describe  the  duties  of  their  offices. 

THE     JUNIOR     DEPARTMENT 

This  Department  likewise  should  have,  if  possible, 
a  separate  room,  and  provision  should  be  made  for 
four  grades.  The  same  offices  are  named  here  as  in 
the  Primary  Department,  and  they  will  need  to  be 
filled  with  great  care.  The  Juniors  are  at  the  age  of 
assertiveness  and  overflowing  life.  The  matter  of 
discipline  will  require  much  attention.  While  we 
recommend  that  women  superintend  the  three  pre- 
ceding departments  and  while  we  are  convinced  that 
in,  perhaps,  the  majority  of  cases  women  are  success- 
fully managing  Junior  Departments,  nevertheless 
there  are  many  men  who  are  adapted  to  this  place, 
and  earnest  Christian  young  men  are  desired  as 
teachers  of  Junior  boys. 

There  is  a  wide  range  for  the  activities  of  this 
Activities  department,  particularly  those  which  take 
and  means  place  during  the  week.  The  teachers  can 
of  influence  ^^  ^^^^  toward  influencing  children  of 
Junior  age  through  week-day  activities.  Hand-work 
forms  an  important  element  in  the  teaching.  In 
some  schools  we  find  a  superintendent  of  hand-work, 
although  the  departmental  superintendent  or  one  of 
the  assistants  may  have  general  direction  of  it.  The 
pupils  read  much,  and  there  is  a  fine  opportunity  for 
the  librarian  to  gather  and  recommend  suitable  books 
or  Sunday  school  papers  and  thus  have  a  large  part  in 


64  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

influencing  the  reading  habits  of  the  pupils.  The 
more  seriously  all  the  officers  and  teachers  undertake 
their  work  and  apply  themselves  to  it,  the  greater 
will  be  the  results  for  good.  There  should  be  earnest 
endeavor  to  secure  the  allegiance  of  every  Junior  to 
Christ  and  His  service. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       65 


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ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       67 


VIII 

THE  SECONDARY  DIVISION 

/xS  a  division  of  the  Sunday  school,  the  Secondary 
is  comparatively  new.  It  covers  the  period  re- 
ferred to  as  the  "'Teen  Age."  For  years  we  have 
recognized  that  this  portion  of  the  Sunday  school 
membership  has  been  the  "joint  in  the  harness," 
or  the  place  of  greatest  weakness.  And  yet  the  fact 
remains  that  during  the  'teen  years  more  decisions 
are  made,  both  for  and  against  Christ,  than  in  any 
other  time  of  life.  During  this  period,  also,  the 
doors  of  our  Sunday  schools  swing  both  ways  and 
more  of  the  boys  and  girls  are  lost  from  membership 
than  at  any  other  time. 

This  is  by  far  the  most  diflficult  division  of  the 
school  to  manage  and  presents  more  problems  and 
The  real  embarrassments  than  all  the  rest.  We 
problem  have  heard  much  in  years  past  about  the 
problem  of  the  boy  and  girl,  but  we  are  now  coming 
to  learn  that  the  real  problem  is  that  of  leadership. 
Direction  is  needed  here  rather  than  control. 

It  will  be  observed  that  we  have  recommended 
a  separate  Council  for  the  Secondary  Divisions  of 
The  second-  larger  schools.  All  we  said  of  the  Ele- 
ary  council  mentary  Council  applies  to  this  Secondary 
Council  and  we  recommend  that  it  include  officers  of 
organized  classes. 


68  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

The  'teen  age  is  the  period  when  boys  and   girls 

want    "to    join    something."     They    come   together 

for   their   clubs    and   bands,   gangs,    etc., 

izing  instinct  whether   we    wish    it    or    not,    and    it    is 

and  its  possible  in  this  division  wisely  to  guide 

direction  ,  .     .    ,  ,.    .  ,  ,         .      . 

this  mborn  proclivity  and  see   that  it   is 

directed  into  proper  channels.  The  attention  of  the 
Sunday  school  world  is  now  centered  upon  this  division 
perhaps  more  than  upon  any  other,  just  as  in  the  two 
decades  past  it  has  been  centered  upon  the  Elemen- 
tary Division,  until  now  that  is  the  best-organized 
and  most  thoroughly  equipped  part  of  the  school. 
In  no  other  division  is  there  greater  need  for  care 
in  the  selecting  of  officers  and  teachers  than  in  this 
division  including  boys  and  girls  of  the  'teen  age. 
Here  we  are  leading  young  lives  through  the  various 
periods  of  adolescence,  which  are  surrounded  with 
dangers  but  filled  with  glorious  opportunities. 

Within  the  past  few  years  a  very  prolific  literature 
has  been  developed  bearing  particularly  upon  the 
Keeping  work  and  problems  of  this  division,  and 
posted  Secondary   officers   and   teachers   will   do 

well  to  keep  abreast  of  the  times  through  the  oppor- 
tunities for  reading  that  it  offers  and  by  patient 
application  of  what  they  learn. 

DEPARTMENTS 

There  are  various  methods  of  departmentalizing 
the  Secondary  Division.  The  three  principal  ones 
are  indicated  in  Chart  2  and  are  follows: 

Choice  A,  in  which  the  Division  is  separated  into 
two  departments: 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       69 

Intermediate    Ages  —  13,  14,  15  and  16. 

Senior   Ages  —  17,  18,  19} 

This  is  the  oldest  and  most  generally-used 
methods  of    form     of    separating    this     division    into 
departmen-    departments, 
talizing  /-.i     •      T.    •        1  •  1      11     1      1 

Choice  \5,  m  which  all  the  boys  of  'teen 

age  are  in  one  department  and  all  of  the  girls  of  'teen 
age  in  another. 

Choice  C,  in  which  all  boys  and  girls  of  'teen  age 
are  in  one  department.  This  is  used  mostly  in  small 
schools. 

Choice  A 

THE  INTERMEDIATE  DEPARTMENT 

Everybody  knows  what  is  meant  by  the  '*  Inter- 
mediate" Department,  but  that  word  is  unfortunate, 
as  it  has  no  definite  significance. 

We  have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  that  a  man  should 
be  chosen  as  superintendent  of  this  department. 
The  super-  Usually  public  school  men  who  are  in  the 
intendent  habit  of  dealing  with  pupils  of  Intermedi- 
ate age  will  be  the  most  successful.  No  one  can  hope 
for  success,  however,  who  cannot  win  his  way  into 
the  affections  and  confidence  of  boys  and  girls.  He 
must  administer  his  department  with  a  strong  hand 
covered  with  a  velvet  glove.  He  should  know  that 
one  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  adolescent  years  is  the 
forming  of  likes  and  dislikes  and  the  making  of  deci- 
sions.    The  methods  of  discipline  that  can  be  admin- 

1  See  note  on  page  52. 


70  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

istered  in  the  Primary  Department  will  not  do  here, 
and  the  superintendent  must  know  every  inch  of  the 
way,  or  he  will  soon  run  upon  the  rocks.  He  will 
learn,  if  he  has  not  already  learned,  that  boys  and 
girls  of  these  years  yield  to  love  and  confidence 
quite  as  readily  as  younger  children,  but  that  the 
love  and  confidence  must  be  expressed  in  a  some- 
what different  way.  Very  much  will  depend  upon 
the  teacher. 

The  offices  named  for  this  department  are  much 
the  same  as  those  suggested  for  the  Junior  Depart- 
ment, and  the  duties  of  each  need  not  be  specifically 
Getting  into  described  here.  This  is  a  time  when  week- 
the  game  (jg^y  activities  bulk  large  in  the  estimation 
of  the  pupils,  and  the  Intermediate  officers  and 
teachers  who  do  not  get  "into  the  game"  will 
find  themselves  losing  their  hold  upon  their  classes, 
while  "the  game"  goes  vigorously  on.  It  is  well 
for  the  teachers  not  only  to  mingle  with  their  pupils 
in  these  week-day  activities  but  to  endeavor  to  direct 
them. 

There  is  much  excellent  literature  on  the  Inter- 
mediate Department  that  can  be  easily  obtained. 

THE     SENIOR     DEPARTMENT 

"Senior,"  while  more  appropriate  than  "Inter- 
mediate," is  still  confusing,  because  many  schools 
use  it,  although  improperly,  for  the  department  com- 
posed of  adults.  Twenty-year-old  pupils  are  often 
classified  as  Seniors  but  many  prefer  that  the  Second- 
ary  Division   should   include   strictly   the   'teen   age 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       71 

pupils.  There  are  many  schools  also  that  include  the 
Senior  Department  with  the  Adult,  although  we 
believe  this  is  being  done  less  and  less. 

Since  pupils  of  the  Senior  ages  —  17-19  —  are 
recognized  as  young  men  and  young  women,  the 
Methods  methods  of  teaching  change,  of  course, 
and  officers  q^^^^  properly  so.  In  most  cases,  discipline 
becomes  less  of  an  element  in  administration  and 
more  attention  can.  be  given  to  constructive  Bible 
study.  What  was  said  of  the  ojfficers  of  the  Inter- 
mediate Department  can  be  applied  here,  but  in  the 
Senior  Department  men  and  women  who  are  strong- 
est spiritually  and  intellectually  as  well  as  in  adminis- 
trative ability  should  be  chosen.  They  must  lead 
by  sheer  ability  and  cannot  depend  upon  the  titles 
of  their  offices. 

Choice  B 

THE     boys'     department 

More  and  more  the  boys  of  the  'teen  age  are  being 
grouped  together  into  a  department.  This  is  not  the 
result  of  any  theory  but  of  conditions  that  must  be 
recognized.  Many  of  the  classes  of  the  'teen  age  will 
organize  and  have  much  going  on  during  the  week; 
and  at  this  point  the  boys  and  girls  separate,  for 
their  week-day  activities  usually  bear  them  in  dif- 
ferent directions.  This  applies  particularly  to  sports. 
In  some  of  them  the  boys  and  girls  can  join  —  as 
in  the  case  of  tennis,  —  but  in  many,  especially  the 
heavier  games,  the  boys  will  be  alone;  while  the  girls 
will  engage  in  other  games  that  would  not  be  attrac- 


72  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

tive  to  the  boys.     The  superintendent  of  the  Boys' 
Department  should,  of  course,  be  a  man. 

THE     girls'      department 

The  superintendent  of  the  Girls'  Department 
should  be  a  woman.  All  the  arguments  given  above 
for  a  boys'  department  apply  also  in  reference  to  a 
girls'  department.  There  is  large  opportunity  here 
for  well-trained  leadership. 

Choice  C 


This  form  of  organization  is  used  largely  in  small 
schools  where  there  are  but  few  scholars  of  the  'teen 
age:  for  instance,  in  a  school  of  sixty  pupils,  with 
perhaps  one  small  class  of  boys  and  another  of  girls. 
Both  of  these  classes  would  be  in  one  department 
with  the  name  given  above. 

ORGANIZED     CLASSES 

With  increasing  frequency  classes  are  forming  them- 
selves into  organizations,  and  properly  so.  The  only 
need  for  caution  that  we  desire  to  mention  in  connec- 
tion with  organized  classes  in  the  Secondary  Division 
is  that  teachers  should  have  a  larger  part  in  directing 
the  organizations  than  in  the  Adult  Division.  This 
is  particularly  true  in  the  Intermediate  Classes.  If 
the  boys  are  allowed  to  follow  their  own  inclinations, 
they  will  not  always  be  wise,  although  a  good  leader 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       73 

will  give  them  all  the  leeway  possible,  and  will  gen- 
erally direct  their  activities  without  appearing  to  do 
so.  The  more  the  scholars  are  really  managing  their 
organizations,  the  better  they  will  like  it.  We  shall 
speak  of  organized  classes  later,  in  connection  with 
Adult  Division. 


74 


THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


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ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       75 


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76  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 


IX 

THE  ADULT  DIVISION 

vJNE  of  the  features  of  the  Sunday  school  activity 
of  our  day  is  the  growth  of  the  Adult  Division 
in  the  Sunday  school.  This  is  a  surprise,  particularly 
to  those  who  are  not  familiar  with  conditions. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Sunday  schools  of  North 
America  are  growing  in  membership  today  more 
The  place  rapidly  in  the  Adult  Division  than  in  any 
of  most  other.     This  is  one  cause  of  the  revised 

rapi  grow  ^^^  more  comprehensive  and  adequate 
estimate  that  is  now  being  placed  upon  the  school 
by  the  Church.  It  is  estimated  that  100,000  men 
are  being  added  to  the  Sunday  schools  of  North 
America  annually,  and  that  there  are  probably  two 
and  a  half  million  men  in  the  Adult  Departments  of 
the  schools  of  North  America  at  present.  These 
statements  are  cited  here  because  of  their  bearing 
upon  the  organization  of  the  Sunday  school.  For- 
merly we  had  the  Elementary  Division  and  the  Adult 
Department  but  now  we  have  the  Adult  Division 
and  there  are  departments  in  this  division  which  were 
not  formerly  recognized. 

The  Adult  Council  is  organized  in  the  same  manner 
The  adult  as  the  Secondary  Council.  It  consists 
council  Qf  q\\  officers  and  teachers  in  the  division 

and  the  officers  of  organized  classes.     The  latter  con- 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       77 

stitute  a  much  stronger  element  in  this  division  than 
in  any  other. 

THE     ORGANIZED     CLASSES 

All  classes  in  the  Adult  Department  should  be 
organized.  An  elaborate  organization  is  not  neces- 
sary, but  no  class  in  this  day  of  busy  social  service 
and  week-day  activities  can  live  up  to  its  opportunity 
by  simply  being  a  Bible  class  on  Sunday.  The 
Bible  class  is  the  place  for  impression;  the  organiza- 
tion gives  opportunity  for  expression.  Before  any 
class  is  organized,  it  is  recommended  that -it  procure 
the  proper  literature  and  become  familiar  with  the 
best  methods  of  organization. 

It  will  be  observed  that  we  suggest  for  the  organ- 
ized classes  of  the  school  practically  the  same  officers 
Class  as    for   the    other    divisions.       Compara- 

officers  tively  few  of  the  organized  classes  have 

separate  rooms  where  they  can  carry  out  some  of  the 
features  indicated.  For  example,  most  of  the  classes 
would  require  no  chorister,  except  for  the  week-day 
meetings,  as  they  could  not  sing  during  the  Sunday 
school  session  unless  they  had  separate  rooms.  The 
outline  given  in  the  chart  conforms  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  International  Association,  which  have 
been  adopted,  for  the  most  part,  not  only  for  this 
division  but  for  the  Secondary  Division  as  well. 

The  adult  organized  class  governs  itself.  Every 
Class  and  officer  has  specific  duties  to  perform, 
school  That  of  the  teacher  is  to  teach;   that  of 

the  president,  to  preside,  etc.  It  ought  to  be  stated 
plainly  that  an  organized  class  should  keep  in  mind  the 


78  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

welfare  of  the  whole  school.  There  are  classes  that 
become  so  absorbed  in  theniselves  that  they  do  not 
desire  to  have  any  connection  with  the  school,  except 
in  name.  They  are  not  willing  to  engage  in  either  the 
opening  or  the  closing  exercises  nor  to  contribute  their 
share  of  money  to  the  general  treasury.  This  is 
fundamentally  wrong  and  the  end  is  sure  to  be  dis- 
astrous. Class  loyalty  is  good  but  school  loyalty  is 
good  also. 

Many  organized  classes  can  use  more  time  than  is 
given  to  the  regular  ordinary  classes  of  the  school. 
Therefore,  if  they  are  present  at  the  opening  service, 
or  a  part  of  it,  so  that  they  may  be  recognized  as  liv- 
ing factors  in  the  school,  it  is  not  necessary  that  they 
return  for  the  closing  exercises.  A  school  cannot  be 
weak  in  any  department  very  long  if  its  older  classes 
are  well  organized  and  doing  effective  work. 

THE     COMMITTEES 

We  have  mentioned  on  the  Chart  a  few  of  the  com- 
mittees that  can  be  profitably  used.  The  commit- 
tees named  on  Chart  1  are  those  required  by  the 
International  standard  of  organization.  Other  com- 
mittees should  be  formed  only  as  they  are  needed. 

The  committee  names  appearing  on  Chart  2  will 
suggest  other  lines  of  activity,  while  many  more 
Adapting  committees  can  be  used  profitably  and  are 
the  work  so  used  by  many  thoroughly  organized 
o  he  c  ass  ^.jg^gggg  'j^jjg  ingenuity  of  the  class  officers 
will  assert  itself  at  this  point  and  some  classes  will 
work  along  one  line  and  some  another.     It  matters 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       79 

not  so  much  what  good  thing  they  do,  as  that  they 
make  a  definite  program  and  then  carry  it  out. 

THE     HOME     DEPARTMENT 

The  Home  Department  is  here  recognized  as  a 
department  of  the  Adult  Division.  Usually  a  woman 
makes  the  best  superintendent,  although  many  Home 
Departments  are  managed  by  men.  As  we  indicated 
in  describing  the  other  non-attending  department  of 
the  school — the  Cradle  Roll  —  success  does  not  depend 
upon  securing  a  large  number  of  names.  The  Home 
Department  offers  a  rich  field  for  work  and  one  that 
responds  readily  to  the  right  kind  of  cultivation. 

There  has  been  a  tendency  in  the  past  few  years  to 
neglect  this  department.  It  is  really  one  of  the  most 
Its  impor-  fruitful  departments  of  the  whole  Sunday 
tance  and  school  when  properly  conducted.  The 
superintendent  may  direct  it  but  the  real 
life  of  the  department  is  found  in  the  visitors,  who 
correspond  to  the  teachers  in  the  attending  depart- 
ments. There  is  no  excuse  for  members  of  the  church 
not  becoming  members  of  the  Sunday  school,  for  if 
they  cannot  go  to  its  weekly  sessions  the  Home  De- 
partment comes  to  them;  and  the  day  is  near  when  no 
church  will  consider  itself  fully  organized  unless 
every  member  is  enrolled  in  some  department  of  the 
Sunday  school. 

THE     parents'     department 

This  is  a  new  department  and  is  coming  rapidly 
into  favor.  Its  name  describes  it.  It  is  specifically 
for  fathers  and  mothers.     It  may  be  conducted  by  a 


80  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

father  or  a  mother  or  by  some  other  person  having 
the  paternal  or  maternal  instinct. 

Some  Parents'  Departments  discuss  in  the  Sunday 
Subjects  school  hour  problems  connected  with 
of  study  home  life  and  the  rearing  of  children. 
We  believe,  however,  that  it  is  better  that  they  should 
take  up  regular  Bible  lessons  at  that  time,  with  such 
incidental  discussion  of  other  matters  as  may  be 
appropriate,  holding  meetings  during  the  week  to 
consider  subjects  more  directly  connected  with  the 
home.  This  the  Parents'  Department  will  do  more 
and  more. 

It  will  be  observed  that  a  full  line  of  officers  is  sug- 
gested for  this  department.  The  librarian  here  will 
The  have  large  responsibility.     We  recommend 

librarian  i^jj^j^  g^  woman  hold  this  position.  She 
will  recommend  books  and  magazines  of  especial 
interest  to  mothers  and  fathers.  A  library  may  be 
procured  and  will  prove  very  valuable  if  wisely 
selected. 

The  influence  upon  the  school,  as  well  as  upon  the 
members  themselves,  of  having  a  strong  Parents' 
Department  cannot  be  over-estimated,  and  we  trust 
,  that  many  schools  will  adopt  the  plan, 
department  The  superintendent  of  this  department 
^^h  *^^  would  be  a  member  of  the  Cabinet,  and 
through  him  the  interests  of  the  depart- 
ment would  be  well  taken  care  of  in  connection  with 
the  general  plans  of  the  school.  Occasional  special 
days  for  the  parents  could  be  arranged  and  recogni- 
tion given  to  them  in  the  program.  This  would  help 
to  create  and  maintain  interest. 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       81 


THE  LESSONS  AND  ORGANIZATION 

J\  CHAPTER  on  Sunday  school  lessons  may  at 
first  seem  somewhat  foreign  to  the  subject  of  our 
book,  but  inasmuch  as  the  adaptation  of  the  lessons 
to  the  school  is  based  upon  the  plans  of  organiza- 
tion, we  deem  it  entirely  appropriate.  The  Inter- 
national Association,  through  its  Lesson  Committee, 
issues  two  courses  of  lessons  —  the  Uniform  and  the 
Graded. 

The  Uniform  Lessons  were  introduced  more  than 
forty  years  ago  —  at  a  time  when  lesson  conditions 
The  uniform  in  the  Sunday  school  world  were  exceed- 
lessons  ingly  chaotic.     For  the  most  part,  individ- 

ual teachers  were  themselves  selecting  their  lessons 
from  any  part  of  the  Bible  they  desired.  The  use  of 
the  same  lesson  for  all  departments  of  the  school  and 
for  all  the  schools  of  the  land  soon  began  to  popularize 
the  Sunday  school  and  bring  people  together.  The 
Uniform   Lessons   created  a  community  of   interest. 

They  also  made  it  possible  for  the  first  time  for 
great  publishing  concerns  to  issue  lesson  literature  at 
A  business  a  profit,  and  as  a  result  the  output  of 
proposition  lesson  material  soon  became  enormous. 
They  served  and  are  still  serving  a  great  purpose, 
and  they  are  probably  being  used  more  largely  now 
than  ever  before. 


82  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

With  the  increased  Sunday  school  interest  and 
activity,  and  with  the  great  advance  in  organiza- 
The  graded  tion  and  teacher-training,  there  developed 
lessons  ^  j^g^  sense  of  Sunday  school  need.    Lead- 

ing Sunday  school  workers  and  educators  began  to 
ask  for  lessons  that  were  better  adapted  to  the  dif- 
ferent stages  of  the  pupils'  development.  After 
considerable  experimenting,  the  International  System 
of  Graded  Lessons  was  introduced,  comprising  a  sepa- 
rate series  of  lessons  for  each  year  from  four  to  twenty. 
Thus  a  fully-graded  Sunday  school  following  the  entire 
present  course  of  graded  lessons  could  use  seventeen 
or  eighteen  different  lessons  on  a  given  Sunday. 

These  Graded  Lessons  are,  for  the  most  part, 
admirably  chosen  and  well  adapted  to  the  purpose 
How  they  for  which  they  are  prepared.  Perhaps 
are  used  one-third  of  the  Sunday  schools  of  North 
America  are  using  them  as  a  whole  or  in  part.  Many 
schools  introduced  them  as  rapidly  as  they  were  pre- 
pared by  the  publishers  and  are  now  using  all  the 
grades.  Many  others  use  them  for  the  Beginners 
and  the  Primary  Department,  employing  Uniform 
Lessons  for  the  remainder  of  the  departments,  while 
still  others  use  them  also  in  the  Junior  and  Inter- 
mediate Departments  and  follow  the  Uniform  Lessons 
from  that  point  onward. 

Under  existing  conditions,  the  writer  recommends 
the  use  of  the  Graded  Lessons  in  all  the  departments 
of  the  Elementary  and  Secondary  Divisions,  especially 
if  these  departments  have  separate  rooms.  Prob- 
ably most  schools  use  the  Uniform  Lessons  for  all 
departments  above  the  Junior,  if  it  is  necessary  for 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       83 

those  departments  to  meet  in  one  room,  believing 
they  secure  better  results  thus  than  by  trying  to 
The  two  teach  a  number  of  lessons  at  once  in  the 
systems  in  same  room.  On  the  other  hand,  many 
one  sc  00  ^  school  using  the  Graded  Lessons  in  a 
department  having  a  room  to  itself  teaches  one  year's 
lesson  to  the  whole  department  and  gets  good  results. 
When  it  is  remembered  that  the  average  Sunday  school 
of  North  America  enrolls  less  than  one  hundred  mem- 
bers, with  probably  not  over  ten  teachers,  and  has  an 
average  attendance  of  less  than  seventy-five  officers, 
teachers,  and  pupils  —  it  becomes  evident  that  a  very 
large  number  of  Sunday  schools  cannot  profitably 
use  the  present  course  of  Graded  Lessons,  except  as 
they  use  one  lesson  for  a  department,  as  indicated 
above. 

A  large  and  increasing  number  of  the  better-organ- 
p  .  .  ized  schools,  however,  are  using  the  Inter- 
of  the  national  Graded  Lessons,  in  their  full  or 

graded  modified  form,  with  great  success.     The 

rapidity  with  which  these  lessons  have  been 
adopted  in  many  quarters  and  the  choice  character 
of  their  material  are  sufficient  proof  of  their  value. 

There  are  those  who  believe  that  the  Uniform 
Lessons  should  be  discontinued  and  that  the  day  will 
Future  of  corae  before  long  when  there  will  be  no 
the  uniform  call  for  them.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  grading  of  lessons  is  pedagogically 
correct,  and  we  hail  with  joy  the  introduction  and 
wide  application  of  this  principle,  but  remembering 
the  limitations  under  which  many  of  our  schools 
must  work,  we  believe  that  the  Uniform  Lessons  will 


84 


THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 


be  in  the  field  for  many  years  and  will  continue  to  be 
blessed,  as  in  the  past. 

There  is  a  widespread  conviction,  however,  that 
the  present  series  of  graded  lessons  is  too  intricate 
A  simpler  ^^^  general  use.  The  demand  for  a  sim- 
graded  pier  course  is  pressing  and  insistent,  and 

course  ^^^  sooner  it  is  met  the  better  for  Sunday 

school  work  as  a  whole.  Because  of  this  feeling  and 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  changes  in  departmentalizing 
the  school  will  be  necessary  if  a  simpler  graded  course 
is  to  be  used  effectively,  we  suggest  the  following 
arrangement  of  divisions,  departments,  and  grades: 


I.   Elementary 
Division 


1.  Cradle  Roll.     Ages  —  Birth  to 

2.  Beginners.     Ages  —  4,  5 

3.  Primary.     Ages  —  6,7,  8 
4^,  Junior.     Ages  —  9, 10,  11 


II.    Secondary 
Division 


6.  Intermediate.    Ages  — 12, 13, 11^ 

6.  Advanced  Intermediate.    Ages  — 
15,  16,  17 

7.  Senior.    Ages  —  18,  19,  20 
(The  placing  of  boys  and  girls  in 

separate  departments  would  not 
interfere  with  this  plan  so  far  as 
the  lessons  are  concerned) 


III.   Adult 

Division 


8.  Men  or  women  or 
men  and  women 

9.  Home 

10.  Parents' 


Ages  —  21 
J       and  up 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       85 

Notes  on  the  Grading  Suggested  Above 

Some  workers  and  authorities  are  advocating  that 
members  of  the  ages  21,  22  and  23  be  graded  in  a  new 
department,  to  be  included  in  the  Secondary  Division, 
Another  as  these  are  regarded  as  the  later  adoles- 
department  cent  years.  This  would  make  the  Adult 
Division  begin  at  24. 

We  are  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  departmental 
names  "Intermediate,"  "Advanced  Intermediate" 
Inadequate  and  "Senior,"  but  use  them  because  we 
terms  have  nothing  better  to  recommend. 

We  suggest  that  the  grading  scheme  in  the  lessons 

be  made  to  harmonize  with  the  grading  of  the  school, 

The  as  indicated  above,  that  only  one  lesson 

"Depart-       j^q  used  at  a  time  in  a  given  department, 
mental  .    .  .      .  1111,1 

Graded  and  that  the  lessons  be  dated  and  the  les- 

Course  "  g^j^  helps  issued  periodically.  This  would 
permit  of  the  revision  of  the  lesson  course  each  year, 
if  desired,  under  the  direction  of  the  lesson  committee. 
The  Uniform  Lessons  might  be  continued,  or  a  sepa- 
rate lesson  put  in  their  place  for  the  Adult  Division. 
This  arrangement  of  lessons  is  sometimes  called  the 
"Departmental  Graded  Course."  The  idea  is  not 
new.  The  International  Lesson  Committee  has  been 
on  record  since  1908  as  favoring  this  system  of  lessons. 
Should  this  lesson  scheme  be  introduced  while  the 
other  two  series  are  in  the  field,  it  would  affect  both 
The  need  ^^  them.  While  two  courses  in  use  at  one 
for  such  time  certainly  ought  to  be  sufficient,  there 
a  course  ^^^  ^^  many  schools  that  wish  to  use  a 
simple  graded  course  of  lessons  that  it  would  be  im- 


86  THE     SUNDAY     SCHOOL 

possible  to  hold  the  field  with  the  two  that  are  now 
being  presented.  The  interests  at  stake,  educationally 
and  spiritually,  are  too  great  to  be  disregarded. 

There  are  those  who  believe  it  possible  to  build 
two  courses  of  graded  lessons  upon  the  same  founda- 

Unifying  ^^^^'  ^^^»  ^^  *^^^  ^^^  ^^  done,  the  well- 
two  graded  grounded  objection  to  three  courses,  made 
courses  ^^  ^j^^  publishers,  would  be  met  in  large 

measure.  Those  who  feel  that  two  graded  series  can 
be  thus  unified  claim  that  the  simpler  graded  course 
could  form  a  part  of  the  more  highly  graded  course, 
so  that  the  same  lesson  treatment  would  serve  for 
the  lessons  that  appear  in  both  courses.  As  to  the 
feasibility  of  this  suggestion  the  writer  does  not 
claim  sufficient  wisdom  to  judge,  but  if  it  can  be 
worked  out  there  will  be  no  doubt  as  to  its  de- 
sirability, for  the  following  reasons: 

1.  A  very  large  number  of  the  best  schools  will  de- 
mand a  highly  organized,  fully  graded  course  of  lessons. 

2.  Many  schools  will  demand  a  somewhat  simpler 
course  of  graded  lessons. 

3.  The  number  of  schools  that  will  continue  the 
use  of  the  Uniform  Lessons,  for  the  present  at  least, 
should  be  taken  into  account. 

Later  we  might  add  a  fourth  class  of  schools,  now 
included  in  the  three  classes  named  above:  namely, 
those  that  will  wish  to  use,  in  part,  two  or  all  three 
of  the  courses  referred  to. 

The  demands  of  all  these  schools  are  reasonable 
Meeting  ^^^  should  be  met.  The  three  courses 
the  needs  of  lessons  we  have  named  should  be  fur- 
nished, for  the  schools  want  them.     If  the 


ORGANIZED     FOR     SERVICE       87 

present  lesson-making  agencies  do  not  supply  them, 
others,  no  doubt,  will.  But  if  this  lesson  adjustment 
can  be  brought  about  as  indicated  above  and  in  such 
a  way  as  to  relieve  the  present  commercial  embar- 
rassment, our  present  confusion  will  disappear  and 
there  will  be  much  cause  for  gratification. 

When  this  is  accomplished  —  and  we  have  faith  to 
believe  it  will  be  —  we  shall  have  lesson  courses  that 
are  satisfactory  to  practically  all  the  Sunday  schools, 
and  we  shall  see  the  beginning  of  another  great 
forward  movement  in  Sunday  school  work,  similar 
Lessons  to  that  which  took  place  when  the  Uniform 
and  growth  Lessons  were  introduced,  but  far  greater. 
The  Sunday  schools  will  take  on  new  life  and  efficiency 
and  grow  in  numbers  as  never  before. 

Having  said  so  much  in  regard  to  the  organization 
and  the  lessons  of  the  Sunday  school,  we  are  moved  to 
observe,  in  closing  this  last  chapter,  that,  after  all, 
the  secret  of  success  in  Sunday  school  work  does  not 
lie  wholly  nor  chiefly  in  the  lesson  courses. 
Educators  are  practically  agreed  that  not 
over  fifteen  per  cent,  of  the  real  efficiency  of  school 
work  comes  from  the  curriculum,  while  eighty-five 
per  cent,  is  due  to  the  teacher.  If  we  had  paid  more 
attention  to  elevating  the  standard  of  teaching  in  our 
Sunday  schools  —  without  neglecting,  however,  the 
matter  of  lesson  courses  —  we  should  have  been 
putting  the  emphasis  in  the  most  important  place  and 
should  be  farther  along  the  way  at  the  present  time. 


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1    1012  01237  6069 


1                        Date  Due 

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